Irish Colcannon – Irish Mashed Potatoes

Irish Colcannon is a popular version of mashed potatoes.  I make mine with leeks and cabbage which results in a delicious side dish – no gravy is needed with these mashed potatoes! A great side option for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day!

IRISH COLCANNON

My mom used to make a similar version of this back in the day.  Of course, we didn’t know that her dish had a fancy name like colcannon. But, we most certainly did eat our fair share of her version.

In fact, I’m pretty sure most Newfoundlanders have eaten a version of Irish Colcannon quite regularly. It reminds me so much of the fried-up leftovers of a typical Jiggs Dinner. I remember well the taste of that particular dish!

I know for sure that my mom never used leeks! In fact, I hadn’t heard of them at all until I was in my teen years.  My Aunt Helen used to make Leek and Potato Soup quite often.  Mom would have used all onion rather than onion and leek.  And, instead of savoy cabbage, she would have opted for the regular green cabbage.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil has almost no flavour at all, which is why I like to use it in some recipes. Use extra virgin light olive oil if you don’t have vegetable oil. 
• Onion – I use yellow, white, and sweet onions interchangeably.  Either of them will do just fine.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic will result in the best flavour every single time. 
• Leeks – Read the next section to learn more about this very tasty vegetable.
• Cabbage – For best results, use savoy cabbage. It’s more flavourful and has a better green colour to it too.
• Potatoes – Use white flesh potatoes to keep the dish a bright colour.
• Whipping Cream – Use 35% cream for best results.
• Butter –You can use salted or unsalted butter here.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Parsley

WHAT ARE LEEKS AND HOW TO USE THEM

Leeks have a mild, onion-like taste.  In its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm.  The edible portion of the leek is the white base.  I trim off the root and most of the green leaves at the top.  I like to leave some of the lighter green on. 

My rule of thumb is this, if the leaves are flat at the top, and not circular, then they are discarded.  The dark green portion has a tough texture. However, if you sauté it butter on low heat for a longer period of time, it’s tender and delicious!

I think leeks are best when they are sautéed.  Boiled leeks just end up tasting like the salted water that it’s boiled in. And, the texture becomes similar to wallpaper paste, because in more cases than not, the leeks are severely overboiled.   Stick to a sauté in a bit of non-flavoured oil, a bit of butter, and a good dash of salt and pepper.  It’s a great side dish in its own right.

SAVOY CABBAGE

When choosing a cabbage for Irish Colcannon, I find that savoy cabbage works best.  Savoy cabbage is shaped just like a green cabbage, but the leaves are deep green and crinkled.  I tend to find the flavour of savoy cabbage to be milder than green cabbage.  The leaves of savoy cabbage are more delicate and cook faster, which makes it ideal for sautéing and is perfect for this colcannon recipe.

HOW TO MAKE IRISH COLCANNON

Start by boiling your potatoes until just cooked through.  Drain and allow to cool. In the meantime, over medium heat, in a large heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the leeks and continue to sauté for 15 minutes. Next, add the cabbage and continue to sauté for another 15 minutes. You will want the cabbage, leeks, and onions to really cook down and wilt.

While the leeks, onions, and cabbage mixture is cooking, prepare the boiled potatoes by cutting them into large chunks and just lightly pressing down onto each chunk with a fork.  Do not over-mash them, just break up the chunks a little.  Transfer the potatoes to the pot with the leek mixture and stir everything together.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter, cream, salt, and pepper.  Stir well to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed. When the potatoes are heated through, toss in the freshly chopped parsley.  Fold into the mixture and serve immediately.

WHY COLCANNON REMINDS ME OF JIGGS DINNER

Let me just jump back to my mention of jiggs dinner.  The entire dinner consists of a variety of root vegetables which are boiled together in a large pot with salt beef. It’s a Newfoundland delicacy. 

Jiggs dinner, also called boiled dinner or cooked dinner, is a traditional meal commonly prepared and eaten on Sundays in many regions around the province.  The meal most typically consists of salt beef, (or salt riblets), boiled together with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, turnips, and sometimes, turnip greens.  

Peas pudding and/or figgy duff (bread pudding) is cooked in twine-bound, cotton pudding bags which have been immersed in the rich broth that the meat and vegetables create.  Condiments are likely to include mustard pickles or pickled beets.  Sometimes, gravy is served which has been made from the drippings from the accompanying roasted beef, chicken, or turkey.  

GRAVY MADE THE DISTINCTION

In my house, we always knew which version mom was cooking by what she called it. For example, if she said we were having Jiggs Dinner, I knew there was going to be no roasted meat of any kind and no gravy.  But, if she said cooked dinner, then we most certainly knew that beef or chicken and a very thick, brown, salty gravy was going to be served up as well.

The next day, the leftover vegetables were often mixed together in a large sauté pan and fried to form what is very similar to a traditional Irish colcannon.  Newfoundlanders usually refer to this concoction as ‘hash’ or ‘couldn’ts.’  (The stuff you couldn’t eat yesterday!)

This dish is more true to the traditional Irish dish.  I have taken a few liberties, but for the most part, this recipe is very close to what you would be served in Ireland. 

This dish has slightly mashed potatoes. Never completely mash the potatoes, just press a fork gently into each chunk of boiled potato to break it up a bit.  You want this dish to be chunky. And, of course, there are onions, leeks, and cabbage, which have been cooked in oil, butter, and salt.

Then, there’s the addition of heavy cream and fresh parsley.  This dish is not for the faint of heart!  And, it shouldn’t be lightened up!  If you use low-fat milk or non-fat butter, you will not get the full experience.  Enjoy!