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The Tradition of Colcannon
By Brenda Hyde
Colcannon is an Irish dish that is rich in tradition and history.
It's also a perfect recipe to make with the kids while sharing it's
interesting history! It's traditionally made on All Saints Day or
Halloween and some families would leave out a plate of it, with a
lump of butter in the center for the fairies and the ghosts. There is
even a traditional Irish song that was written long ago about
colcannon that you can sing while preparing it!
Did you ever eat colcannon
When 'twas made with yellow cream
And the kale and praties blended
Like the picture in a dream?
Did you ever take a forkful
And dip it in the lake
Of heather-flavored butter
That your mother used to make?
Oh, you did, yes you did!
So did he and so did I,
And the more I think about it
Sure, the more I want to cry.
God be with the happy times
When trouble we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon
In the little three-legged pot.
(The little pot was known as a Bastable oven, which looked a
little like a cauldron with a lid that was put over a fire and used
as an oven to bake bread and other dishes. )
Traditional charms were put in the colcannon that symbolized
different things. A button meant you would remain a bachelor
and a thimble meant you would remain a spinster for the coming
year. A ring meant you would get married and a coin meant
you would come into wealth. Gather the family together and make
this simple, but fun recipe for dinner!
The Colcannon Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound cabbage
2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes
2 small leeks, green onions or scallions
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter
dash of nutmeg or mace
Core, quarter and shred the cabbage and place in a pan, covering
with boiled salted water til tender-about 15 minutes. Peel and cut
the potatoes into 2 inch pieces and cook those too in salted water
for about 15 minutes in another pan. (Assign duties to different family
members!) Drain the cabbage and chop into very small pieces. Drain
the potatoes and mash by hand. Do not use a processor or mixer!
Meanwhile, wash and chop the onion-use what is available to you,
using the middle parts-not the root end or rough ends of the green
part. In a pan large enough to hold the cooked potatoes and cabbage,
combine the onions and milk and cook over medium heat until they
are tender, about 8 to10 minutes.
Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and mace to the onions and milk and
stir over low heat until well-blended. Add the cabbage and 1/2 cup of
butter and stir again to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Mound
the mixture in the middle of a platter and make an indentation. Add
the remainder of the butter. Serves 4 to 6.
About the author
Brenda Hyde is a wife and Mom of three, a freelance writer, and editor of OldFashionedLiving.com. Her grandfather was born in Ireland and became
a merchant seaman at a young age, ending up in America, where her
aunt and father were born.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
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