Colcannon + Bubble and Squeak

Cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables, particularly due to its crunchy texture and versatility. It can be eaten raw in slaws and salads, steamed, added to stir fry and soups, or fermented in sauerkraut and kim chee. It was an added bonus to discover in The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth that it is a super star vegetable in terms of nutritional value (calcium, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene to name a few), cancer fighting properties (particularly for breast cancer) and low calories (one of the lowest of any food).

Cabbage and potatoes. Potatoes and cabbage. Having an abundance of these two vegetables that are so plentiful during the winter months, I looked to my Irish heritage for inspiration on preparing these ingredients commonly used in that country’s cuisine. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made from cabbage and mashed potatoes. According to my Irish friends, it is traditionally served around Halloween with a ring in the dish to predict which surprise recipient would be getting married next. I find this dish to be a satisfying comfort food, particularly on these cold, winter nights.

Ingredients

3 lbs of potatoes (Yukon gold or russets)

3 lbs of shredded cabbage (kale or brussel sprouts can be used as an alternative)

1 tsp of cumin seeds

2 – 3 tbs butter (more or less per your preference)

1/2 c. milk (I made it with 1 c. and I think that was too much) – just enough to moisten the mashed potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

chopped Italian parsley and chives

Quarter the potatoes and boil. Drain and peel the skins off the potatoes. Add butter in pieces in a bowl and set aside. Steam the cabbage with cumin and salt. Steaming, as opposed to boiling, keeps the dish from becoming water logged and helps preserve the flavor of the vegetable. Cumin is not traditional in this dish, but I wanted to add something to spice up the dish. Cabbage is often cooked with caraway seed. As I didn’t have caraway, cumin was a good alternative. Mash the potatoes with the butter and salt. Slowly add milk until smooth in texture. Add the cooked cabbage, chives, salt, and pepper. Any onion type can be used in place of the chives. If using white onions or leeks, be sure to sauté before adding to the mix. Chives or scallions are good for their color. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the dish before serving. I topped this dish with smoked, pork sausage sourced from Meadow Run Farm that I pan fried.

I had quite a bit of leftovers. My first thought was to make them into patties and bake them. Some call this “Bubble and Squeak”, a traditional English dish. Although when I looked it up, there were many variations from patties to stews with the only common denominator being potatoes and cabbage. To the leftover potato and cabbage mixture, I added some crispy bacon bits (Mugshots carries the best locally farmed bacon), diced jalepeno for kick, and cheddar cheese made from raw milk (figuring this was still in keeping the Irish flavor of the dish). But when I tried to bake the patties, they just melted on the pan. The same thing happened when I fried them. Probably there was too much milk and / or cheese in the mix to hold up to the heat. As I still had more leftovers, my next inspiration was to use it as a stuffing. I had some local Portobello mushrooms that I sprayed with olive oil, filled with the potato cabbage mixture and broiled for about 15 minutes until the mushroom was tender and the topping crispy. Success! It went down very well with some local Yuengling Lager from America’s oldest brewery.