Thanksgiving Colcannon Food

TRADITIONAL IRISH COLCANNON

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Lightly salt a pot of hot water and simmer the potatoes until soft in the middle when pierced with a sharp knife.
• In a different pot, blanch the curly kale in boiling water for 1 minute.
• Drain the kale and reserve.
• Place the 1/2 cup of roughly chopped spring onions and the blanched kale into a blender and pulse for 10 seconds until roughly mixed. (You want the vegetables to have some texture.)
• Drain the potatoes and add 4 ounces of butter.
• Mash the potatoes and butter until smooth and creamy.
• Add the kale and spring onion mixture and stir well.
• Add the 1/4 cup of finely chopped spring onions and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Top the mash with the optional 2 ounces of butter, if desired. Serve and enjoy.

THANKSGIVING COLCANNON

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. , Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and poultry seasoning; cook until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add kale and ½ cup water from simmering potatoes. Cook until kale is tender and bright green and cooking liquid has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute; remove from heat. , Drain potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup water; mash with yogurt, salt and pepper. Gently fold in kale mixture and 3/4 cup cheese. Add reserved water, a tablespoon at a time, to achieve a light and airy consistency. Transfer to a serving dish; top with remaining cheese and if desired, additional celery leaves.

COLCANNON WITH CRISPY LEEKS

Steps:

• In a medium pot, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover them by 2 inches and a large pinch of salt. Boil until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter, along with a drizzle of oil, then add leeks and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat for 5 or so minutes. When the leeks are golden, spoon some out onto a plate to use for garnish.
• To the leeks in the pan, add the garlic cloves, and cook them for a minute until fragrant. Then, toss in the greens. Season with more salt and cook, tossing them, until the greens are wilted and very tender. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water.
• Now add the potatoes to the skillet and mash them (so they're either smooth or chunky), and add some milk or vegetable broth, if you like, and a lot of butter. Taste, and add more salt and lots of pepper. Scatter on the fried leeks and more butter to melt in little pools across the top.
• Top with a fried egg or some smoked salmon, or serve a simple green salad on the side.

CLASSIC COLCANNON

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in boiling water till tender; drain, reserving water.
• Place in a large bowl.
• Mash with hand masher till well-mashed.
• (I find the electric mixer makes it too gooey).
• Add milk, salt and pepper and beat till fluffy.
• In the same saucepan as potatoes were cooked in, cook cabbage in reserved potato water for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender.
• Drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in frying pan and saute onion until tender.
• Add mashed potato and cooked cabbage to the onion.
• Heat throughly, stirring constantly.
• Place in a heated serving dish.
• Serve hot, topped with butter.

COLCANNON

Steps:

• Trim the cabbage, discarding tough outer leaves and the hard core. Cut it into quarters and steam the quarters until barely tender. Chop them fine and set aside.
• Meanwhile, steam or boil the potatoes until they are tender. Mash them and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the cabbage.
• In a large nonstick skillet, soften the onion in two tablespoons of the butter. Mix it with the cabbage and potatoes. Return the mixture to the pan and fry until it is browned on the bottom. Put a plate over the pan and invert to turn the mixture onto it like a pancake. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Brown the potatoes and cover the cabbage mixture on the other side.