Colcannon is a classic Irish side dish that’s made from mashed potatoes with green cabbage (kale in my case) and butter – nice and comforting.
My recipe is a Dutch interpretation, as boerenkool (lit. translation: farmer’s cabbage) is a very similar dish and one that I know well. Dishes like colcannon, are called stamppot in The Netherlands; mashes of potatoes and vegetables with or without meat. Boerenkool stamppot is traditionally served with a smoked sausage, what we call kielbasa here in the US, and served as a meal.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Potatoes
- Kale – or another green cabbage
- Bacon (optional)
- Scallion (optional)
How to Make Dutch Boerenkool Stamppot
Without going into detail, let me explain how the Dutch would make Boerenkool (kale) stamppot. They would chop the kale and cook it together with the potatoes until both are fully cooked. Then drain and mash the potatoes and kale, mix in milk and butter to make it a smooth mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a kielbasa (warm).
There are many varieties of boerenkool and colcannon: addition of scallion, cheese, bacon, mustard and I’m sure there are more. The two major differences between the Irish colcannon and the Dutch boerenkool are:
- The ratio potatoes:kale in boerenkool is 2:1 – which is more veggies than in traditional colcannon.
- Kale in boerenkool is finely chopped and fully cooked, whereas the kale is sauteed in butter or oil in colcannon.
How to Make Colcannon with Kale
- Step 1 – Cook the potatoes until done. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Step 2 – At the same time, cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy.
- Step 3 – Transfer the baked bacon with a slotted spoon onto a plate and sauate the chopped kale and scallions (reserve some for garnish) in the bacon grease . Saute until wilted and bright green.
- Step 4 – Drain the potatoes, mash them, add some milk and butter if needed and add the kale and scallion. Mix until blended. Add more milk or butter if you like it smoother.
- Step 5 – Mix in the bacon (reserve some for garnish) and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 6 – Transfer the colcannon to a serving bowl and top with green onions and bacon. You can add some additional butter on top, if you prefer.
Colcannon with Kale
Ingredients
- 8 ounces potatoes
- 4 ounces kale chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 slices bacon chopped
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a pot with water and salt and cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender.
- At the same time, cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Transfer the baked bacon with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- Cook the chopped kale in the bacon grease, together with the chopped scallions (reserve some for garnish). Saute until wilted and bright green.
- Drain the potatoes, mash them (NOTE 1), add some milk and butter if needed and add the kale and scallion. Mix until blended.
- Add the bacon (reserve some for garnish) and season with salt and pepper. Add more milk if you like it smoother.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with green onions and bacon. (NOTE 2)
Notes
- You can mash the potatoes until velvety smooth or you can leave some bigger chunks.
- You can add some butter on top at the very last moment, if you like.
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