Colcannon

Name: Colcannon
Total time: 4200 s
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lb (~6 medium) Russet Potatoes; Salted Water; 1/3-1/2 cup Cream or Half-n-Half; 1/4 cup softened Butter; 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste; Dash Pepper or to taste; 10-12 -oz Kale*; Boiling Water; 4-5 Scallions/Green Onion, thinly sliced; Melted Butter; Omen Charms wrapped in parchment paper (optional)

Nona Cooks @NonaCooks

Colcannon is an Irish comfort food of cabbage or kale whipped into mashed potatoes. It is eaten year round, but especially at holidays like St Patrick’s Day and, most notably, Halloween (Oíche Shamhna or Samhain). This is another recipe from Hubby's Irish Nana. Recipe is: © 2002-2022, Sheryl Ann Umstead-Kelly, All rights reserved.

Traditional charms wrapped in parchment were put in the colcannon that are omens for those who find them. The charms vary from place to place. Some charms are:
— Button - you would remain a bachelor
— Thimble - you would remain a spinster for the coming year
— Ring - you would get married
— Coin - you would come into wealth
— Piece of Cloth - you have lean times ahead
— Dried Bean - spinsterhood
— Heart - you will find your true love
— Baby Bottle - you will have a baby

Nona Cooks @NonaCooks

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Ingredients

1 hr 10 mins

6 to 8 servings

2 lb(~6 medium) Russet Potatoes
Salted Water
1/3-1/2 cupCream or Half-n-Half
1/4 cupsoftened Butter
1/2 tspSalt or to taste
DashPepper or to taste
10-12-oz Kale*
Boiling Water
4-5Scallions/Green Onion, thinly sliced
Melted Butter
Omen Charms wrapped in parchment paper (optional)

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Steps

1 hr 10 mins

1

Wash potatoes thoroughly. Pare the skin, remove eyes, and cut into chunks about the same size. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and add enough salted water (½ teaspoon salt per 1 cup water) to cover potatoes. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender.
2

While the potatoes are cooking, chop the kale. Boil the chopped kale in water for 2 to 3 minutes, until just wilted and dark green in color. It's better to undercook the kale as it will be reheated with the potatoes. Drain well and squeeze to get excess moisture out so it doesn’t water down the potatoes. Place back in the pan and set aside.
3

Drain and gently shake the pan over low heat to dry the potatoes. Put potatoes through a ricer or sieve. Add cream in small amounts, beating after each addition. The amount of cream needed to smooth and fluff the potatoes depends on the kind of potatoes used and how dry they are. Beat vigorously until potatoes are light and fluffy. It's much easier to beat the potatoes with a mixer, but this can be done by hand.
4

Add the salt, pepper, and softened butter and mix well. Fold in the kale or spinach, green onion, and wrapped charms. Reheat in a warm oven or microwave and keep warm until served.
5

To serve, each person heaps a portion of colcannon onto their plate, makes a well in the center, and pours melted butter into the well.
6

NOTES: Kale was hard to find years ago and I can’t eat cooked cabbage, so I substituted one 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach. Two days before making colcannon, place the frozen spinach, in its package on top of a dish, in the refrigerator to thaw. While the potatoes are boiling, drain the thawed spinach well. Place paper towels on top of the spinach in the strainer and squeeze all the water out. Use as you would the kale.