Best Alisons Colcannon Recipes

EASY IRISH COLCANNON

Steps:

• Place the potatoes, cabbage, and green onions into a large sauce pan, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain the vegetables and place into a large bowl. Mash the potatoes and vegetables with the butter using a fork until the mixture is chunky, pouring in half-and-half gradually as you mash. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

COLCANNON CAKES

Steps:

• Make the colcannon: Make the colcannon first (see our colcannon recipe .) Put potatoes in a pot, cover with cold, well salted water by an inch, bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and remove them from the pot. Melt the butter in the still warm pot, add the chopped greens, cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted, then add the green onions and cook for another minute. Add the potatoes, milk or cream to the pot, mash until everything is well mixed.
• Mix with egg, flour, salt, and chill: Mix the egg, flour and salt in with the colcannon. You may want to chill the mixture for 15 minutes or longer to make it easier to shape the patties.
• Form into patties: Form into little cakes of whatever size you want, but make them flat so they will cook through without burning. If the mixture is too wet, add more flour until the mixture is easy to shape.

COLCANNON

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
• Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.
• Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.

DIANE'S COLCANNON

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
• Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

SMASHED RED POTATOES WITH CABBAGE

Steps:

• Cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partially and cook until tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Do not drain the water, but using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes from the pot to a bowl. Cover tightly and allow to sit for five to 10 minutes. Then, using a towel to hold the potatoes steady (because they're still hot), cut them into quarters.
• Meanwhile, bring the water back to a boil, add more salt if desired and add the cabbage. Cook uncovered until tender, five to six minutes. Drain.
• Heat the butter or oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet, and add the scallions. Cook, stirring, until they soften, about three minutes. Add the potatoes. Smash the potatoes to a coarse mash in the pan with a potato masher or the back of your spoon. Stir in the hot milk, and mix together well until the potatoes have absorbed all the milk. Stir in the cabbage, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the chives, stir together until heated through and serve.

COLCANNON

Steps:

• Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.
• Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.
• Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.
• Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
• Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.

ALISON'S COLCANNON

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot,and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 mins,until potatoes are soft enough to mash. Drain. Transfer to a large serving bowl,and mash potatoes with with 1/4 cup of butter and all of the sour cream until well blended.
• Melt remaining butter in a large pot.Add garlic and green onions,and cook. stirring until softened. Add the cabbage,cover the pan,and let the cabbage steam for about 10 mins stirring occasionally. Stir the cabbage mixture into the mashed potatoe,and season liberally with salt and pepper . serve Hot.

COLCANNON POTATOES

Steps:

• Place cabbage and 2 cups water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid; keep cabbage warm in separate dish., In same pan, combine potatoes and reserved cooking liquid. Add additional water to cover potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, place milk, green onions, salt and pepper in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil and remove from heat., Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl and mash. Add milk mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in cabbage. To serve, drizzle with butter; top with parsley and bacon.

COLCANNON WITH CRISPY LEEKS

Steps:

• In a medium pot, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover them by 2 inches and a large pinch of salt. Boil until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter, along with a drizzle of oil, then add leeks and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat for 5 or so minutes. When the leeks are golden, spoon some out onto a plate to use for garnish.
• To the leeks in the pan, add the garlic cloves, and cook them for a minute until fragrant. Then, toss in the greens. Season with more salt and cook, tossing them, until the greens are wilted and very tender. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water.
• Now add the potatoes to the skillet and mash them (so they're either smooth or chunky), and add some milk or vegetable broth, if you like, and a lot of butter. Taste, and add more salt and lots of pepper. Scatter on the fried leeks and more butter to melt in little pools across the top.
• Top with a fried egg or some smoked salmon, or serve a simple green salad on the side.

CARROT, PARSNIP AND POTATO COLCANNON

Steps:

• Place potatoes, carrots and parsnips in a saucepan and cover by an inch with water. Add salt to taste, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover partly. Simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, return to pot and cover pot tightly. Leave to steam in covered pot for 5 minutes. Peel potatoes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add leek. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to cook, stirring, until very tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
• Mash vegetables with a potato masher or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or put through a food mill. Combine butter and milk and heat until butter melts. Gradually add to purée, stirring or beating on low speed. Stir in leeks and mix until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put through the fine or medium blade of a food mill, or press through a medium-mesh strainer. Garnish if desired with dill or chervil. Serve hot.

COLCANNON

Steps:

• Trim the cabbage, discarding tough outer leaves and the hard core. Cut it into quarters and steam the quarters until barely tender. Chop them fine and set aside.
• Meanwhile, steam or boil the potatoes until they are tender. Mash them and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the cabbage.
• In a large nonstick skillet, soften the onion in two tablespoons of the butter. Mix it with the cabbage and potatoes. Return the mixture to the pan and fry until it is browned on the bottom. Put a plate over the pan and invert to turn the mixture onto it like a pancake. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Brown the potatoes and cover the cabbage mixture on the other side.

MASHED POTATOES WITH KALE (COLCANNON)

Steps:

• Cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partially and cook until tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes. Drain off the water, return the potatoes to the pan, cover tightly and let steam over very low heat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher or a fork, through a food mill or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, while still hot.
• While the potatoes are cooking bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the kale. Fill a bowl with ice and water. Cook the kale for 4 to 6 minutes (after the water returns to the boil), until the leaves are tender but still bright green. Transfer to the ice water, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine (you can use a food processor).
• Towards the end of the potato cooking time, combine the milk and the scallions in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for a few minutes. Stir the chopped kale into the hot mashed potatoes and beat in the milk and butter or olive oil. The mixture should be fluffy (you can do this in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle). Add salt to taste and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot, right away, or keep warm in a double boiler: set the bowl in a saucepan filled one third of the way with water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer. Stir the potato and kale mixture from time to time.

COLCANNON

Steps:

• Tip the potatoes into a large saucepan of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the flesh is tender when pierced.
• Meanwhile, heat quarter of the butter in a saucepan, then fry the bacon and half the cabbage for 5 mins (see Kevin's tip, below, for how to use remaining cabbage). Turn off the heat and set aside. Drain potatoes in a colander and peel while still hot.
• Mash potato until smooth. Heat cream with remaining butter and, when almost boiling, beat into the potato. Add bacon and cabbage to potato and mix. Season if you want.