Colcannon (Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Kale) / Ireland

What kind of dish is this?

This is an Irish dish made with mashed potatoes, butter, milk, kale, or cabbage.
It is a dish that is not only eaten on a daily basis, but also on special occasions such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.
On Halloween, it is sometimes mixed with rings and buttons to tell fortunes.

The butter in the center is placed for fairies and ghosts.
I do not know what meaning it has.

※St. Patrick’s Day
→The anniversary of the death of St. Patrick, the man who spread Christianity in Ireland. The Irish have been celebrating this day for centuries.

Name

The name comes from the Gaelic word cal ceannann, which means “white headed cabbage”.
Is it because it looks like that, or because it uses kale or cabbage? Or is it both?
The truth is a mystery.

Also, the word cal ceannann was derived from the word cainnenin.
The word cainnenin means garlic, onion, or leek.
Originally, it may have been a mixture of these.

History

This dish was created by combining cabbage and kale, which have been grown in Irish gardens for centuries, with potatoes, which were introduced in 1589.

In the past, Ireland was ruled by England.
Most of the wheat they grew went to England, and Ireland was always short of food.
This is when the potato was introduced.
The yield is high, and it keeps well. They are economical and nutritious.
But that’s not all.
It was much easier to grow and handle than wheat.
The potato spread rapidly in Ireland.
※In 1621, Irish immigrants brought potatoes to Virginia, USA.

It didn’t take them long, in my opinion, to mix cabbage and kale, which have always been familiar to the Irish, with potatoes.
It may not be exactly the same as today, but I think that similar dishes existed in the 1600s and 1700s.

By the way, “Coel Callen, a mixture of mashed potatoes and cabbage” was recorded by a traveler in 1735.
A dish named Colcannon was first mentioned in 1875.

Thoughts

When I hear the word “Ireland”, I think of… potatoes, beer, and whiskey, if it’s food.

So this time, I enjoyed this dish while drinking Irish whiskey.
It’s the best combination.
I also had some crispy bacon with it.
I’ve heard that the locals often eat it with bacon as well, which makes sense.
As a whiskey lover, it was such a happy moment that it is impossible for me to describe it in words.
Even if you don’t drink alcohol, I highly recommend that you try Colcannon + crispy bacon.
It’s so delicious. It’s a perfect match.

Also, this dish reminded me of something.
In Europe, countries with high latitude…
They eat potatoes on a daily basis.
They also eat a lot of pork, which grows quickly to a good size with little food.
They often mix valuable green vegetables with dairy products to get the nutrition and calories they need.

Due to the climate and soil, resources were limited.
But they want to live. They have to live.
And to do that, they need to get calories as well as nutrition.
It is probably because they had a common problem that similar dishes exist.

As for Colcannon, from the point of view of a Japanese person like me, many people would be surprised at the amount of butter used.
But don’t worry.
If you are worried about calories, just eat it and then lose weight.

It is a dish to live by, reflecting the history of Ireland, and it is very tasty.
You could make a sandwich with it and it would be absolutely delicious.
I hope you will give it a try at least once.

Recipe of Colcannon

Local Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Irish

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

No.1

• 6 potatoes cut into desired size
• 1000 ml water depends on the size of the pot
• 2 tbsp salt

No.2

• 70 g butter
• 300 g kale or cabbage chopped
• 30 g green onion chopped
• 200 ml milk

No.3

• Free salt
• Free pepper
• 4 g butter

Instructions

 

• Put the potatoes, water, and salt in a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

  Or until a fork pierces it.

  When finished boiling, drain.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

  Add the kale. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

  Add green onions. Cook for 1 minute.

  Add the milk. Mix well.

  Add the potatoes. Reduce heat to low.

  Mix well, mashing the potatoes.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

  Serve in bowls.

  Put the butter in the center.

  Finish.

Video

Keyword butter, potato, vegetables