Bacon and Garlic Colcannon
It’s Irish enough. Right?
By Erin Henderson
Despite my name, I am not Irish. English and Scottish on my dad’s side, but I think that makes me lose points with the Celts, not gain any.
I do, however, love anything with cabbage. For years, this was a mark of shame for me. Cabbage is such an unsexy vegetable. So utilitarian and practical. Something to eat when you need to increase your fibre count. How could anything cool come from cabbage?
You may also like: My Family’s Braised Red Cabbage
But thank gawd for the young’uns. This new generation of practical, running shoe-wearing, high-waisted and comfy mom-jean donning, pornstar-moustache sprouting, and mullet-crowning yoots who refuse to fall victim to the stilettoed and shiny trappings of anything before they were truly sentient.
We need to credit these whippersnappers for casting cabbage, in all its unsexy glory, into the hip spotlight. I bow down to them for allowing me to proudly boast my love of cabbage for all to hear. #lovewins
My latest obsession is a riff on classic Irish mashed potatoes. Colcannon, which comes from the old language word for “white cabbage” is a classic that mixes mashed potatoes with the cabbage, though sometimes leeks or kale are used. Champ, on the other hand, uses only spring onions mixed into the mash – so don’t screw it up.
Because I can never leave well enough alone, I throw in some garlic and a bit of bacon for a bit of zhush. Just don’t tell the Irish.
Garlic and Bacon Colcannon
I like to use a potato ricer for this, as it makes quick work of mashing fine potatoes and leave the peel behind. But if you don’t have one, you certainly can mash by hand.
The leftovers also make excellent croquettes.
Makes: I estimate 1 potato, ½ a garlic clove, 1 slice of bacon, and ½ a cup of cabbage per person
Chef level: easy
Special equipment: potato ricer, optional
Ingredients:
- Yellow potatoes, such as Yukon gold, cut into rough cubes
- Garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- Thick cut, smoky bacon
- Green cabbage, sliced thin
- Whole milk
- Salted butter
How to Make It:
- Cover the potatoes and garlic with lightly salted cold water and set over high heat to come to a boil.
- Place the bacon in a cold pan and set over medium heat and fry until just before crispy.
- Remove the bacon and set aside, draining most of the fat in the pan, leaving a thin coating behind.
- Chop the bacon.
- Add the cabbage to the hot bacon fat and stir frequently, using a splash of water if needed, and scrape up the brown off the bottom of the pan.
- Bring milk and butter to a simmer in a small sauce pot.
- When the potatoes can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, drain them.
- Push the potatoes and garlic in batches through a potato ricer back into the drained pot. (Alternatively, cool the potatoes a little, peel, and return to the pot to mash by hand.)
- Pour in, a little at a time, the warm milk and butter, until the desired potato consistency is reached. Add the wilted cabbage and the bacon pieces and stir through.
- Serve warm.
Wine Pairing:
You may or may not be eating this on its own. I have, and will again, even though Colcannon, like any mashed potato, is generally served as a side with anything from roast chicken to sausage to braised beef. I like to serve it with a classic steak and mushroom pie.
Assuming you are eating this solo, I would be inclined to go for a medium bodied, earthy white wine that also has subtle vegetal notes to echo both the potatoes and the cabbage. My choice is a Grüner Veltliner from Austria. It's a snappy white wine with bright acidity, but also has a silky weight and a mix of flavours from pea pod and celery to brown lentil and earth.
