Irish Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes)

Halloween Irish Monster Mash

Irish Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes)

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With Halloween just around the corner, I cracked open my new favorite cookbook, The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook, to make an Irish Colcannon. You must be thinking, Tracy has lost her mind in retirement … Irish food for Halloween? Actually, yes, as Halloween is a big holiday in Ireland. I was as surprised as you, and I’m Irish!

For St. Patrick’s Day, we travelled across the street for an incredible Irish feast which included corned beef, Colcannon, Sticky Carrots with Whiskey & Ginger Glaze, Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts & Bacon, Irish Soda Bread, along with Chocolate & Stout Ice Cream – all recipes from The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook. The food was so delicious that I ordered a copy, and was surprised to learn that Colcannon, Champ and Barm Brack are all traditional recipes served at Halloween.

Legend has it that Halloween originated in Ireland from Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the end of harvest season. From History.com “Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.”

Back to the food. So, what is colcannon? Colcannon is an Irish mashed potato dish served at Halloween, sometimes with coins or lucky charms hidden in the potatoes to bring “recipients good luck or fortune.” There are a number of ways to make colcannon, but it is basically mashed potatoes with greens, usually cabbage and onions, but it can also be made with kale, Swiss Chard, scallions or leeks or any combination thereof. A less-traditional version includes bacon, which is what I used here, because in for a penny, in for a pound (or a Euro if you are in the Republic of Ireland).

Champ is another Irish mashed potato recipe this one with scallions and chives topped with a pool of melted butter. Champ was “traditionally served at Halloween, when it was customary to leave a bowl under a bush for the fairies.” Yum!

And Barm Brack? Traditional Halloween bread made with dried fruit and “charms … baked into the dough as part of an ancient fortune-telling ritual.” I’ll have to give that a try one day.

We love mashed potatoes and have several recipes in MaiTai Tracy’s Kitchen, but there is always room for a new version! Oiche Shamhna Shona Daoibh!

Ingredients:

4 medium Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
1-stick (4 oz.) + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ to 2/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream
4 strips thick-cut bacon
½ small green cabbage, cored and finely sliced
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 scallions, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper or white pepper

Directions:

Cut the potatoes in half so all they are all roughly equal size. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan cover with cold water by an inch. Bring water to a boil and cook uncovered until done (about 15-20 minutes after the water comes to a boil; stick a fork in them, and if they fall apart they are ready).

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan cook the bacon until browned and crispy. Set aside to cool on a paper towel: reserve the drippings in the skillet. Crumble the cooled bacon.

Using the same skillet, add a tablespoon of butter if necessary and heat over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cabbage and sauté, stirring often until wilty and tender (8 to 10 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove potatoes from heat and drain well. Mash until mostly smooth. Add the butter and mix into the potatoes until melted. Stir in the milk or cream starting with ½ cup and increasing by tablespoon as needed. The potatoes will be very creamy.

Fold the sautéed leeks and cabbage and crumbled bacon into the mashed potatoes.

Season liberally with salt and pepper of your choice (I prefer white pepper). Garnish with finely chopped green onions.

4 to 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook