Irish Colcannon Mashed Potatoes (Printer-friendly)

Creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage and green onions, enhanced by plenty of butter for a comforting side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 lbs floury potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into chunks
02 - 2 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
03 - 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced

→ Dairy

04 - ½ cup whole milk, plus more as needed
05 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for serving

→ Seasonings

06 - 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15–18 minutes until fork-tender.
02 - In a separate pot, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in spring onions and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
03 - Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Mash thoroughly until smooth.
04 - Gently heat the milk, then add to potatoes along with remaining butter. Mix until creamy and smooth.
05 - Fold in cooked cabbage and spring onions. Season generously with salt and pepper.
06 - Transfer to a warm serving bowl and top with extra butter melting on top.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The way butter melts into every crevice creating pockets of richness
  • Cabbage transforms from boring vegetable into sweet tender ribbons that perfectly balance the potatoes
  • Ready in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • The kind of side dish that somehow steals the show from the main course
02 -
  • Start potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly throughout instead of having a gummy exterior and raw center
  • Don't overmash or the potatoes will turn gluey and heavy, just enough to break them down
  • Warm the milk before adding so it melts into the potatoes instead of cooling them down
  • Cabbage should be tender, not mushy, so keep an eye on it in that final minute
03 -
  • Mash the potatoes while they're still hot so they absorb butter and milk better
  • Taste and season repeatedly, cabbage needs more salt than you'd expect to shine
  • Make it ahead and reheat gently with a splash more milk, it actually tastes better the next day

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