Ellens Irish Channel Colcannon Recipes

ELLEN'S IRISH CHANNEL COLCANNON

Steps:

• 1. Peel potatoes, quarter, and place in pot of boiling water. Cook over low heat, covered, for 20-30 minutes, or until tender; drain.
• 2. Remove outer leaves of cabbage and discard. Cut cabbage into fourths; wash well. Cut in half again crosswise. You may discard the core or you may chop it into small pieces. Place cabbage wedges into large pot of boiling salted water. Reduce heat, cover, and cook about 25 minutes or until done. Drain and put back into large pot. Keep warm.
• 3. With a potato masher, mash up the potatoes to a semi-lumpy stage. Add half the butter and salt, and all the milk, a little at a time. With an electric mixer, blend the potato mixture on medium-high speed until they are smooth.
• 4. Add the mashed potatoes to the drained cabbage in the pot. Blend well. Add the remaining butter and the leeks or green onions, if desired. Add remaining salt, to taste, and the pepper. Mix well 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.

COLCANNON CAKES

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl, combine the colcannon and the flour, mixing well. Form the mixture into 6 cakes of equal size, about 3/4-inches thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Fry cakes on both sides, turning once and pressing down lightly with a spatula, until golden brown--about 4 minutes per side.