Best Traditional Colcannon
Classic Irish mashed potatoes with tender kale, scallions, and rivers of butter—pure comfort in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the Colcannon:
- 2½ lbs 1.1 kg floury potatoes, peeled & quartered
- ½ lb 225 g curly kale or cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup 240 ml whole milk or half-and-half
- ½ cup 113 g Irish butter, divided
- 6 scallions thinly sliced
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in salted water 15–20 min until tender.
- Blanch kale 3–4 min; drain and squeeze dry.
- Sauté scallions in 4 tbsp butter; add milk and warm.
- Drain potatoes; dry in hot pot 1 min.
- Mash with half scallion-milk + 4 tbsp butter + seasoning.
- Fold in kale and remaining scallion-milk.
- Pile in bowl; make deep well; pour in melted butter.
- Serve hot with extra pepper.
Notes
- Squeeze kale dry = no watery mash.
- Warm milk + butter = silky texture.
- Butter lake is traditional—don’t skimp.
- Reheats beautifully with splash milk.
- Freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight.
- Day 2 leftovers = best colcannon cakes.