You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy Colcannon. This traditional Irish mashed potato mix is amped up with cabbage and leeks, cream and butter. Delicious!
If I could only have one vegetable for the rest of my life it would potatoes for sure! There is a joke going around that says Potatoes give us french fries, chips and vodka… it’s like the other vegetables aren’t even trying!
You can’t really pick out any one additional flavour in this traditional Irish mash but the extras give it layers of flavour. This would be a great way to incorporate additional veggie servings into your meal.
These make a delicious side to any roast or meatloaf.
It also makes a great pot luck addition. You can make it ahead and gently reheat before serving.
Left overs make a great hash as well with the addition of some bacon, ham, pea, green onion -whatever else is going! In fact you may want to make a big batch to ensure you have leftovers.
I make a variation on this sometimes if I have enough leeks. I like this Potato Mash with Celeriac, Parsnip and Frizzled Leeks so much I sometimes top the colcannon casserole with Frizzled Leeks as well.
Ingredients
- 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
- 6 Tbsps butter divided 4 + 2
- 2 medium leeks white and light green parts only
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups green cabbage finely shredded
- 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cream I used 10%
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Optional Fried Leek Topping
- 1 medium leek white and light green part only, finely sliced
- 3 Tbsps vegetable oil
Instructions
- Peel and quarter potatoes. Cover with water and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
- While potatoes are cooking, heat 4 Tbsps of butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes til leeks are soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the cabbage and cook another 10 minutes or so until cabbage is wilted and soft. Stir often.
- When potatoes are cooked drain them and mash roughly. You want them to be quite coarsely mashed. Add the cabbage mixture and stir to evenly incorporate.
- Add the milk, cream,remaining butter, salt and pepper and stir thoroughly. Add the parsley last and mix in. Transfer to serving bowl and pass with additional butter if desired.
- Optional Fried Leek Topping: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron is great). Test it with 1 piece of leek. It should sizzle when the leek hits the oil. Add the leeks when the oil is ready. Cook, stirring until the leeks turn golden brown. This can take about 7 minutes. Stir often and watch so they don't burn. When done transfer leeks to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Top the colcannon casserole dish with fried leeks.
