Irish Mashed Potatoes, also known as "Colcannon," is made using boiled russet potatoes and kale or cabbage. The term "colcannon" translates to "white-headed cabbage," and is traditionally served in Ireland alongside meat or pork. The side dish can be prepared with several adaptations, such as spinach instead of kale, milk instead of buttermilk, and/or shallots or chives instead of green onion.
If you're looking for a side dish to serve on St. Patrick's Day with corned beef, colcannon is a delicious go-to. The recipe easily serves six, but can be scaled up or down to size.
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Things You'll Need
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (2 lbs.)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 cups loosely packed kale leaves, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
Sea salt to taste
Potato peeler
Large pot
Colander
Potato masher or sturdy fork
1. Peel the potatoes
First, heat a full pot of water to boiling while you peel the potatoes.
2. Chop the potatoes
Chop the potatoes into quarters and carefully drop them into the water. Return the water to a controlled boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft when poked with a fork. Strain the potatoes into a colander and set aside.
3. Cook the greens
Heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet or pot. Add the kale, green onion, and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until the kale has softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
4. Add buttermilk and potatoes to the greens
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cooked potatoes and buttermilk.
5. Mash the potatoes
Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or fork until the potatoes reach the desired texture.
6. Season to taste
Taste the mashed potatoes and add sea salt to taste. Serve colcannon with butter and enjoy!
Tip
If you don't own a potato masher, you can use the bottom of a large measuring cup to mash the potatoes.
You can replace buttermilk with regular cow's milk and/or add additional butter.
For creamier mashed potatoes, blend potatoes with the buttermilk in a blender or food processor until smooth (do this step prior to adding the potatoes to the kale mixture).