When flipping through “The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook,” I was surprised to find a Halloween recipe! I found a recipe for Colcannon. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of creamy mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage that is often served at Halloween. It is said that the cook would often hide a lucky charm or a coin in the Colcannon and whoever would find it would have good luck and good fortune! There’s also a legend that says a girl would put some colcannon into a stocking, hang it on the front door and whoever would come through the door next would become her husband!!
When I made my Colcannon last night, I definitely did not put any into a stocking on the door…I already have my husband and he might think I was crazy if I did something like that!! I also didn’t hide any lucky charms in our meal because we already feel like the luckiest people in the world to have each other! Instead, we just enjoyed this surprisingly delicious food along with a roast!
Colcannon - Irish Mashed Potatoes and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cups light cream
- Half of a small cabbage
- 6 scallions
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel your potatoes.
- Cut potatoes into cubes.
- Add potatoes into a pot of water on the stove.
- Turn stove on high and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until potatoes are tender.
- Drain potatoes and place into a mixing bowl.
- Mash the potatoes (you can use a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or a hand-held potato masher)
- Add in your butter and cream and continue mixing well.
- Cut your cabbage in half (you will only use one half of it).
- Cut the half that you are using into half again and then cut both pieces into thin shreds.
- Cook the cabbage in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes.
- Drain cabbage and then add to the potatoes and mix well.
- Finely chop your six scallions and stir into the potato/cabbage mixture.
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Hide your lucky charm at this point if you would like and serve!!
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