Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made with cabbage or kale and potatoes. The name comes from the Gaelic phrase “cal ceannan,” which means “white-headed cabbage”.
One of the earliest written references to colcannon comes from the diary of William Bulkeley, who wrote on October 31, 1735 while on a visit to Dublin: “Dined at Coz. Wm. Parry, and also supped there upon a Shoulder of Mutton rosted, and what they call there Coel Callen which is Cabbage boiled Potatoes & parsnips, all this mixed together, they eat well enough, and it is a Dish always had in this Kingdom on this night.”
As William Bulkeley relates, colcannon was traditionally associated with Halloween. When made on that night, colcannon could be used for mystical purposes; charms were often hidden in bowls of colcannon, or unmarried girls would fill their stockings with spoonfuls of colcannon and hang them on the front door in the hopes that the first man to enter through the door would become their future husband (although I wonder how many people actually tried this – it’s hard to imagine someone who does their own laundry willingly filling their socks with mashed potatoes and cabbage).
While this particular recipe (published in an English cookbook in 1750) does not use the word “colcannon” in the title, the instructions for mashing together potatoes, parsnips, and cabbage match William Bulkeley’s description of the dish. Colcannon was introduced to England during the 18th century and became a popular dish there as well, explaining its presence in an English cookbook. The recipe does not give any measurements, so I went with roughly equal quantities of potatoes, parsnips, and cabbage, but it could be varied according to taste or what vegetables you have on hand.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Peel the potatoes and parsnips and slice them into small chunks. Boil until soft, about 20 minutes.
Drain the water from the potatoes and parsnips and return them to the pot. Add the milk or cream and mash them.
Meanwhile, bring a second pot of salted water to boil. Shred the cabbage into small pieces and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the cabbage and add it to the pot with the potatoes and parsnips. Add the butter.
Mix everything together thoroughly in the pot, cooking over low heat to keep it warm. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with a pat of butter.
Tasting notes:
It’s pretty hard to go wrong with mashed potatoes and butter. While some colcannon recipes use just potatoes and cabbage, I really like the addition of parsnips in this version. The flavor of this dish isn’t particularly strong, however; while many modern recipes add leek or onion to colcannon, all of the 18th and 19th century recipes I could find were only flavored with salt, pepper, and butter. Some 19th century recipes also suggested browning the colcannon in an oven before serving, which sounds tasty too. However you choose to prepare it, colcannon makes an excellent and hearty side dish – but I wouldn’t recommend putting it in your socks.
What is the difference between Colcannon and Champ? Both Irish dishes, Champ is mashed potatoes with chopped spring onions (scallions) and milk.Colcannon is Champ with the addition of cabbage and sometimes some herbs.
Colcannon is mashed potatoes and chopped cabbage and usually chopped ham or bacon. Bubble and squeak is mashed leftover potatoes and chopped cabbage mixed up and fried as single round cake, and then sliced and served usually at breakfast.
Colcannon is a mixture of cooked and shredded cabbage and mashed potatoes. The word colcannon is derived from the Gaelic term cal ceannann, which means "white-headed cabbage" — the vegetable most commonly mixed with potatoes in this dish.
Irish Stew is a thick, hearty dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions and undisputedly the national dish of Ireland. Within the dish are many of the ingredients synonymous with the island, potatoes being one of the most recognized.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American, Canadian and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper.
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake made with leftover mashed potato and grated raw potato. An old Irish rhyme goes: "Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan; if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man." Our family has been making this delicious recipe for years!
The Irish language is very descriptive the common word for potato in Irish is práta (pl.prátaí), hence the origin of Praties for Potatoes, There are literally 50 Irish words and descriptive phrases relating to the potato.
Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet. The most common form of bread consisted of flatbread made from ground oats.
English–Irish Dictionary (de Bhaldraithe): Potato-mash. Potato-mash, brúitín m (prátaí). Mashed potatoes, brúitín m. Mashed potatoes, brúitín m, prátaí brúite.
Colcannon is a hearty dish that has been eaten on Halloween night for years. Traditionally, a ring was hidden in the dish, and whoever was to find it would be likely to marry in the upcoming year! Colcannon was even paired with a little poem: Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
Champ (brúitín in Irish) is an Irish dish,[1] made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped spring onions with butter andmilk, and optionally, salt and pepper.[ 2] It is simple and inexpensive to produce. In some areas the dish is also called "poundies".[
Champ is made with potatoes, milk, butter and scallions (aka spring onions). It's more common in Northern Ireland/Ulster. Champ is served as a side dish to a main meal, or at breakfast with fried eggs and perhaps sausages. Champ is also known in some areas as Poundies.
Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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