Colcannon
Buttery mashed potato folded with kale or cabbage and spring onions, served with a well of melting butter.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Side
- Cuisine
- Irish
Colcannon is one of the best-loved dishes of the Irish kitchen: floury potatoes mashed with milk and butter, then folded through with greens. It is a traditional dish at Halloween, when small charms were once hidden in the bowl as fortune-telling tokens.
Kale and cabbage are both traditional. Kale gives a deeper green flavour; savoy cabbage is sweeter and softer.
Ingredients
Cups use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. Weighing is more accurate.
- 1 kg floury potatoes, such as Rooster or Maris Piper
- 250 g kale or savoy cabbage, tough stalks removed, shredded
- 4 spring onions (US: scallions), finely sliced
- 150 ml whole milk
- 75 g salted butter, plus extra to serve
- salt and ground white pepper
Equipment
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- Potato masher or ricerHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Small saucepanHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Chef's knifeHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Put in a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes until completely tender.
Photo: Ssemmanda will via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped - 2
Meanwhile, melt a knob of the butter in a frying pan and cook the shredded kale or cabbage for 3–5 minutes until just tender and still bright green.
Photo: Evan-Amos via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 - 3
Warm the milk in a small pan with the spring onions for 2–3 minutes to soften them.
Photo: Chen Zhao via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped - 4
Drain the potatoes well and leave to steam for a minute, then mash until smooth with the rest of the butter.
Photo: Renee Comet (photographer) via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain - 5
Beat in the milk and spring onions, fold through the greens and season well. Pile into a warm dish, make a hollow in the top and drop in a generous knob of butter to melt.
Photo: TheCulinaryGeek from Chicago, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped
Tips
Leftovers: shape cold colcannon into patties and fry them in butter until crisp: excellent with a fried egg.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mash is gluey | Waxy potatoes, or over-worked in a processor | Use floury potatoes and mash by hand or with a ricer |
| Watery colcannon | Potatoes or greens not drained well | Let the potatoes steam dry and squeeze excess water from the greens |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between colcannon and champ?
Colcannon is mash with cabbage or kale; champ is mash with spring onions. Both are Irish.
When is colcannon traditionally eaten?
At Halloween in Ireland, sometimes with a coin or charm hidden inside.
What can I do with leftover colcannon?
Shape it into patties and fry in butter until crisp, excellent with a fried egg.
Guides for this recipe
Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).
Buying guide
Potato Mashers and Ricers: Which Makes the Best Mash?
Buying guide
Vegetable Peelers: Swivel or Y-Peeler?
Buying guide
Chef's Knives: How to Choose One
Buying guide
Saucepans: Stainless, Non-Stick or Copper?
Buying guide
Colanders: Metal, Enamel or Collapsible?
Kitchen design
Copper Pans in the Kitchen: Cooking, Display and Care
Kitchen design
Knife Storage: Blocks, Magnetic Strips and Drawer Inserts
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Card photos: A stainless steel grid potato masher, Donovan Govan. via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Swivel and Y-shaped vegetable peelers, Pengo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A chef's knife with a wooden handle, Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A small stainless steel saucepan with a lid, Cooks & Kitchens from Darlington, UK via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A blue enamel colander, FAP via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Copper pans and a kettle on an old kitchen range, Silar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Kitchen knives held on a wall-mounted magnetic strip, Phil! Gold from Pikesville, MD, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Sliced boiled bacon with cabbage and a creamy white sauce, Miss Ayumi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A barmbrack cut open to show the dried fruit inside, Solo Beckett via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A bowl of Irish beef stew with potatoes, beside a pint of Guinness, User:Jpatokal via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.