Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (2024)

Our Traditional Irish Colcannon recipe (potatoes + cabbage) comes straight from the family archives in County Cork Ireland. Otherwise, known as The People’s Republic of Cork. It’s a place of absolute beauty and where you’ll discover Irish cooking at its finest.

Colcannon is the perfect dish for St. Patrick’s Day. Leave it to the Irish to dream up a cream enriched potato dish! There are many variants as there are Irishmen, ours is conventional fare made up of potatoes, thinly sliced cabbage, kale, green onions, milk, butter, cream, salt, and pepper.

Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (1)

But we did cheat a little using the Instant Pot! Who doesn’t love the fact you can cook an entire meal in a couple of hours as opposed to an entire day. You know I love cooking and spend my days in the kitchen, but sometimes we just have to jam it out and this was one of those days!

Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (2)

Plus we made our Guinness Braised Corned Beef and then used the drippings to cook the mash. Literally an entire meal in a pot, perfect!

carte du jour

Can I use Kale in Colcannon?

Yes, in fact many recipes call for kale! Older versions trace back to using green cabbage (as ours does) but Kale is a great choice as well.

Chef’s Tip: You can also swap out the green onions for white onions, shallots or leeks if you prefer.

How to Make Colcannon on the Stovetop

  1. Boil the potatoes: Add the whole scrubbed potatoes to a medium heavy-bottomed pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Add 2 tablespoons of Kosher sea salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes pierce easily with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander.
  2. Cook the cabbage with butter: Return the pot to the stove and set over medium-high heat. Melt a Tablespoon of butter in the pot and once it’s hot, add the cabbage. Cook the cabbage for 3-4 minutes, or until wilted and have released some moisture.
  3. Mash the potatoes with milk or cream and greens: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle. Slip the skins off of them and dice into chunks, add to the pot. Pour half of the warm cream in and mash the potatoes + cabbage, and green onions, adding more cream as necessary until the desired consistency is reached. Mash will be “lumpy”. Season with Kosher sea salt and pepper to taste.

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Traditional Irish Colcannon

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Our Traditional Irish Colcannon recipe comes straight from the family archives in County Cork Ireland.Colcannon is the perfect dish for St. Patricks Day. Leave it to the Irish to dream up a cream enriched potato dish!

Category:Dinner

Cuisine:Irish

Keyword:Traditional Irish Colcannon

Servings: 8 people

Author: Mean Green Chef

Ingredients

  • 2.5lbsmedium sized Idaho Potatoes,whole + washed + skin on
  • 8Tablespoonsbutter
  • 1/2cup (120 ml)milk,whole
  • 1/2cup (123 ml)heavy cream
  • 1medium headgreen cabbage,cored + roughly chopped
  • 3cupskale,washed + roughly chopped
  • 4scallions,chopped
  • 2cupsstock from cooking corned beef,or stock of your choice
  • Kosher sea salt + freshly cracked black pepper,to taste

Instructions

  1. Add potatoes to Instant Pot with cooking stock, cover with lid, ensuring that the valve is set to sealed, press manual and set the cook time to 15-minutes.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (5)

  2. While the potatoes cook. Warm butter, milk, cream and a few cracks of black pepper over low heat in a small saucepan.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (6)

  3. After the timer goes off allow natural release for 5 minutes and then vent. Remove potatoes from the instant pot with tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (7)

  4. Add thinly sliced cabbage into the Instant Pot, replace the lid,ensuring that the valve is set to sealed, and set to manual high pressure 6 minutes.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (8)

  5. As the cabbage cooks, slip the skins off of the potatoes and cube. Set aside.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (9)

  6. Once the cabbage is done, press Cancel on the IP, safely do a QuickRelease by opening the valve to "Vent". After all of the pressure has been released open the lid. Scoop out the cabbage and set aside.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (10)

  7. Pour the excess stock into a container and reserve for corned beef. Add the potatoes, cabbage, sliced green onions, and half of the cream mixture back into the Instant Pot. Using a hand masher, mash the Colcannon adding more cream until the desired consistency is reached, it should be "lumpy".

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (11)

  8. Serve warm with a knob of butter on top if desired and seasoned with Kosher sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

    Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe | Mean Green Chef (12)

Recipe Notes

  • Prep time is approximate.
  • Mash only until Colcannon is blended, there will be "lumps".
  • Best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

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FAQs

Why is colcannon important in Ireland? ›

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?

Who invented colcannon? ›

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.

Where did colcannon and champ come from? ›

Champ is similar to another Irish dish, colcannon, which uses kale or cabbage in place of scallions. Champ is popular in Ulster, whilst colcannon is more so in the other three provinces of Ireland. It was customary to make champ with the first new potatoes harvested.

What is the name of the dish similar to champ but made from kale or cabbage rather than scallions? ›

Champ and colcannon are both favorite Irish mashed potato dishes. They're very similar, though champ recipes tend to feature spring onions (scallions) alone, while colcannon adds cabbage, kale, or leeks.

What is the difference between Colcannon and Champ? ›

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.

What does colcannon mean in English? ›

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.

Is colcannon the same as bubble and squeak? ›

Simply put, Champ and Colcannon are essentially boiled potatoes with the addition of Cabbage, in the case of Colcannon, and Onions in the case of Champ. Bubble and squeak is left over potatoes, cabbage and any veg you have left over. Fried in butter or lard. don't use vegi oil if you want a proper bubble and squeak.

What is similar to colcannon? ›

Similar dishes
  1. Clapshot, stovies, and rumbledethumps, from Scotland.
  2. Bubble and squeak, from England.
  3. Champ, from Ireland.
  4. Biksemad, from Denmark.
  5. Trinxat, from the Empordà region of Catalonia, northeast Spain, and Andorra.

Do Irish people eat mashed potatoes? ›

Mashed potatoes are a staple food in almost every Irish household, but the side dish has a long and storied history that has little to do with Ireland. Where did mashed potatoes originate? Imported from South America in the 16th century, potatoes initially failed to take off in Europe as a delicacy.

Who mashed potatoes first? ›

Parmentier is responsible for coming up with a variety of preparations, and some food historians credit him with inventing the mashed potato during one of his potato preparation publicity stunts in 1771. Others point to the English, who mashed potatoes and served them with pan drippings in the 1600s.

What is the history of colcannon? ›

The name "colcannon" comes from the Irish phrase "cál ceannann," which means "white-headed cabbage." The dish is believed to have originated in Ireland, and it has been a traditional part of Irish cuisine for centuries.

What is colcannon mash made of? ›

Have you ever had colcannon? A St. Patrick's day favorite, colcannon is an Irish potato recipe, a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes and usually kale or cabbage.

What do the Irish call spring onions? ›

In Ireland, scallions are chopped and added to mashed potatoes, known as champ or as an added ingredient to Colcannon.

What does champ mean in Ireland? ›

"Champ is the name of a mashed potato dish served in Scotland and Ireland. The potatoes are often mixed with other vegetables such as leeks or even mashed beetroot when they acquire different regional names.

What is the significance of potatoes in Ireland? ›

Why were potatoes so important to Ireland? The potato plant was hardy, nutritious, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in Irish soil. By the time of the famine, nearly half of Ireland's population relied almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet, and the other half ate potatoes frequently.

Why are Irish potatoes so important? ›

Consuming potassium-rich foods like Irish potatoes can help reduce the risk of hypertension and lower the chances of heart disease and stroke. Immune System Support: Irish potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is known for its immune-boosting properties.

What vegetables are historically important in Ireland? ›

Immus (celery) were grown extensively. Foltchep a kind of onion chive or leek were also grown. Meacan and cerrbacan believed to be carrots and parsnips were also cultivated. A type of wild cabbage and kale were also cultivated.

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