Arguably, there's nothing more that Americans like better than bacon. Even more arguably, St. Patrick's Day ranks right up there with Americans' favorite holidays. As a result, we at Tonia's Kitchen just had to get these two kids together! For this one, Tonia reached out across the pond to Darina Allen of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shannon County Cork, Ireland! She tells Tonia about some fantastic bacon and mashed potato dishes that really bring a piece of the old country right here to the new world! To find out more, visit Ballymaloe's website.
1 lb kale or savoy cabbage
3 lb starchy, “floury” potatoes, such as russets
1 cup milk
3-4 scallions/green onions or 1 spring onion, finely chopped, including greens
Salt and pepper
4 Tablespoons (½ stick ) salted butter
Scrub the potatoes and put them in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and boil until
potatoes are mostly cooked (about 15-25 minutes, depending on size) Drain off 2/3 of the water and cover the pan. Place back on low
heat and steam until cooked fully. (Alternately, peel and chop potatoes, cover with water and boil until fully cooked) Meanwhile,
bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to the boil (can use bacon-cooking water). Wash kale, remove the stem, and tear into pieces
(for cabbage- remove outer leaves, quarter core and slice thinly across the grain). Cook kale (or cabbage), uncovered, in the salted
water until tender, this can take up to 8-10 minutes, depending on the type and maturity of the kale. Drain and set aside. Heat the milk
and scallions over medium heat in a small saucepan. When potatoes are cooked, pull the peel off the potatoes and mash while warm.
Bring the milk to boiling and gradually add to the potatoes to make a fluffy puree (you may not need all the milk). Stir in cooked kale
and taste for seasoning. Place in a large warmed serving bowl and place the lump of butter in the center. Colcannon can be held in a
200F degree oven, covered tightly with foil, up to 1 hour. Serves 8.
