We just got home from a family vacation in Ireland, where we had a blast hiking and eating! Our first day was mostly spent driving across the island while making a few sight-seeing stops to castles, abbeys, and tombs…but our second day, we took our first hike. We drove down from our place in Malin Beg, happened upon a roadside food truck for coffee, and then we hiked Sliabh Liag. The hike itself was a mix of beautiful views, oodles of wind, and intermingled mud and rocks…oh and all the sheep! When we descended back towards our parking area, we passed a little pub called The Rusty Mackarel, and we knew we’d have to go back there for dinner.
For dinner, we each ordered a fish dish (Fish n Chips for our son, Baked Cod for my wife, and Mackarel for me). A few minutes later (as we were salivating watching other dishes come to other tables), our server came over and told us that they couldn’t make “Champ” because they were out of spring onions. This confused us for a couple of reasons:
- None of us saw “Champ” on listed on the menu with our meals
- We had no idea what “Champ” was.
A couple at the table next to us overheard our mental strife and explained to us that “Champ” is basically mashed potatoes with spring onion. Since none of us had ordered it (and it wasn’t available even if we had), we decided to incorporate something champ-ish in the meals we cooked in the kitchens where we were staying. We did a little more research and came upon Colcannon, which is a traditional Irish mashed potato dish that includes greens of the cabbage family (cabbage, kale, etc), and we were off to the races.
Of course, being who we are, we decided to add a bit of additional flare to our colcannon in the form of Irish Cheddar. The cheese added a bit of saltiness and creaminess to the mix, and we would definitely make it again! This dish is very similar to our original Sneaky Mashed Potatoes version, but this particular side doesn’t try to hide its vegetable infusion.
We served our Irish Cheddar Colcannon twice on the trip…once with Herbed Butter Seared Lamb Chops and once with Crispy Black and White Pudding.
Time: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Russet Potatoes
- Green Cabbage
- Spring Onions/Scallions
- Irish Cheddar
- Butter
- Milk or Cream
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley
- Garlic Powder
Method:
- Wash and cube your potatoes. Then add them to a pot, cover with hot water, and bring to a boil. Cook until soft enough to pierce with a fork.
- As your potatoes cook, slice your cabbage finely, and cut your green onion into ribbons.
- Melt some butter (along with a little dried parsley, garlic powder, and pepper) in a pan, and then add your cabbage and onions. Sauté until they just begin to brown and caramelize.
- As your cabbage and potatoes cook, grate or dice your cheese.
- When your potatoes are ready, drain the water, add a little butter and milk, and mash.
- Add your sauteed cabbage to your mashed potatoes, and stir to combine.
- Add your cheese, and heat. Stir occasionally to melt evenly, and add salt (as needed).
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
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