Colcannon

"Did you eat colcannon
Made with lovely pickled cream
And the greens and scallions mingled
Like a picture in a dream
Did you ever make a hole on top
To hold the melting flake
Of the creamy-flavoured butter
That your mammy used to make"

Have you ever tried it?

What is colcannon made of?  A St. Patrick's day favorite, colcannon is an Irish potato recipe, a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes and cabbage:

This is an Irish dish that I make every year - It is so delicious and flavorsome!

Colcannon

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/4 cups hot milk

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded

1/2 pound ham, cooked the day before, diced

4 scallions, finely chopped

Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS: 

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. Set aside.

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.

Dice ham into tiny pieces and remove any fat. Add to cabbage. Stir in

scallions and stir gently.

Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them

in gently.

Bake in lightly greased casserole dish for 20-30 minutes.

Make an indentation on the top. Put 2 tablespoons of butter into

indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve hot. 

I hope you will try it!