St. Patrick’s Day Recipes: Colcannon

Perhaps my favorite St. Patrick’s Day food is the tasty Irish potato dish, called Colcannon. This yummy mixture of potatoes, cabbage, milk, and onion is good anytime of year, but it goes particularly will with corned beef. Plus, it’s a nice hearty dish to eat after marching in a chilly St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Colcannon
2 lbs. cabbage, shredded
2 cups water
4 lbs. potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups milk
1 cup chopped green onions
Salt and coarsely-ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
Minced parsely as garnish

In a large saucepan, bring the cabbage and water to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Keep cabbage warm. Place cooking liquid and potatoes in a larges saucepan. Add enough additional water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and keep warm.

In a small pan, bring the milk and onions to a boil. Remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes. Add the milk mixture and beat until blended. Add cabbage, salt and pepper. Beat until blended. Top with melted butter and parsley.

Makes 12-16 servings.