Colcannon - Serves 8 approx

Songs have been sung and poems have been written about Colcannon. It’s one of Ireland‘s most famous traditional potato dishes. It’s comfort food at its very best and terrific for a party.

450g (1lb) Savoy or spring cabbage

1.35kg (3lb) ‘old’ potatoes like Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks

250ml (8fl oz) boiling milk approx.

30g (1oz) scallion or spring onion,

optional salt and freshly ground pepper

55g (2oz) butter approx.

Scrub the potatoes, put them in a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked, 15 minutes approx. for ‘old’ potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put onto a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are cooked.

Remove the dark outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash and cut into quarters, remove the core and cut finely across the grain. Cook in a little boiling salted water until soft. Drain, season with salt, pepper and butter.

When the potatoes are cooked, put the milk, and the finely chopped scallions into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pull the peel off the potatoes and discard, mash quickly while they are still warm and beat in enough boiling milk to make a fluffy puree. Then stir in the cooked cabbage and taste for seasoning. For perfection, serve immediately in a hot dish with a lump of butter melting in the centre.