The First Irish Recipe I Ever Made!

“Tastes from the Irish” continue with (as the title of this post suggests) the first Irish recipe I ever made, and that recipe is for Colcannon, “a classic Irish recipe for potatoes with the addition of milk, butter, and greens like kale, cabbage, leeks, green onion, or chives.”

I first heard about this recipe when a co-teacher of mine (Thanks, Cuca!) made it as part of a St. Patrick’s Day feast that we served to our (primarily Hispanic) students and their families to celebrate this holiday. When I found out exactly what it was, I wasn’t too sure about it since I really don’t like mashed potatoes, but I gave it a try. Much to my surprise, I really liked it, so I’ve been serving Colcannon as part of my St. Patrick’s Day feast ever since!

As with the first of my “Tastes from the Irish” posts, this recipe is from the Web site called theviewfromgreatisland.comm, and here’s some of what the author had to say about this recipe:

“Colcannon Flavor Variations to Try

Though not traditional, I added a bit of horseradish to my Colcannon for an extra flavor boost. I love the flavor of horseradish in my mashed potatoes, it gives a great little subtle kick. But you can definitely leave it out, or adjust the amount to your taste. Here are some more ideas for adding a layer of flavor to your Colcannon.

  • mustard, either creamy or grainy
  • garliic, fresh or dried
  • crummbled bacon (!)
  • sour cream
  • fresh herbs like thyme, parsley or rosemary

Other Veggies to Use in Colcannon

While kale and cabbage are traditional, there are so many other greens you might use if you want to get creative!

  • spinach
  • watercress
  • chives
  • leeks
  • chard
  • raddicchio
  • shaved Brussels sprouts
  • other types of cabbage such as red cabbage, Savoy, or Napa

The Best Way to Mash Potatoes

How do you mash your potatoes? I’m partial to an old-fashioned potato-masher. They make quick work of well-boiled potatoes, and allow you a little more control over the final texture. I don’t like my mashed potatoes to be perfectly smooth, in fact, I usually don’t even bother to peel my potatoes (although I did for this recipe.)

If you do like a perfectly smooth texture, you can use electric beaters, just be careful not to over beat them, over beating can cause your mashed potatoes to become ‘gluey’. Not a good thing.

How to Make Colcannon Ahead

Colcannon can be made up to a few days ahead to time. To reheat, cover with foil and heat in a 350F oven, or in the slow cooker. You may need to add additional liquid and butter to loosen them up. You’ll want to stir a few times while reheating so they heat evenly.”

And now… without further ado, here is this week’s featured “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe:

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes With Kale)

This authentic Irish dish teams up creamy mashed potatoes with vibrant and healthy kale for an unbeatable side dish!

Equipment

Potato masher

Ingredients

3 lbs russet potatoes (the best for mashing), peeled and chopped

5 Tablespoons butter, divided, plus more for serving if desired

8 cups chopped kale, about 1 large bunch (remove the tough stems first)

1 cup half-and-half or buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 teaspoons horseradish sauce [optional]

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the chopped potatoes, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. (The tip of a sharp knife should slide in easily.)
  2. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
  3. In the same pot, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, and sautee the chopped kale over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.
  4. Take off the heat, add the potatoes back to the pot along with the rest of the butter, half-and-half, salt, and horseradish sauce. Mash together with a potato masher until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  5. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve with more butter if desired.

So, there you have it: the recipe for Sue Moran’s Authentic Colcannon. I hope you’ll give it a try and then let me know what you thought about it.

Life’s short…

Hello! Welcome to the first “Tasty Tuesdays” post of March! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, this month’s theme will be “Traditional Irish Farmhouse Recipes, and they’ll feature four recipes from “the view from great island” Web site. Hope you enjoy this month’s “tastes from the Irish”.

At the saying goes, “Life is short, so eat dessert first.” In keeping with this sentiment, I’m beginning this month’s worth of “Tasty Tuesdays” posts with… you guessed it… a DESSERT recipe: “Authentic Irish Apple Cake”. According to Sue Moran, the Web site’s author, “This is an authentic old fashioned Irish apple cake, the kind that would be made throughout the apple harvest season all over Ireland, where every farmhouse has its own prized version of the recipe. It’s delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!”

Here’s what else Sue has to say about this recipe for “Authentic Irish Apple Cake”:

“A CLASSIC APPLE CAKE FILLED WITH JUICY APPLES AND WARM SPICES

This easy apple cake recipe speaks to another era and another continent. But nothing beats a kitchen filled with the warm scent of apples and cinnamon, no matter what your particular spot in the baking universe. The cake is mildly spiced, with an inner core of thinly sliced tart apples, topped with a crumbly oat streusel. Tradition dictates serving it with some thick cream, or a luscious custard sauce. Choose to respect or flaunt tradition: you’re in charge.

BEST APPLES FOR AN APPLE CAKE

I used Granny Smith apples for this apple cake — they’re nice and tart and don’t get mushy in the oven.

Another good choice would be Honeycrisp apples. You can aloways experiment with other types, if you want, yoou can’t go too wrong here. (pickyourown.org has a pretty comprehensive guide to apple varieties.) You’ll need about 3 good sized apples for this recipe, that’s the bottom line. Peel them, and slice them thinly. If you’re making them more than a few minutes ahead, be sure to toss them with a little lemon juuice to prevent browning.

THE CRUMBLE TOPPING MAKES THIS CAKE ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE FOR BREAKFAST< BRUNCH< OR AFTERNOON TEA

This is a not-too-sweet kind of cake in the European tradition. It’s pretty perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or mid afternoon, though still definitely special enough to serve as dessert, especially with the custard. The custard sauce keeps well in the fridge, and can be served either warm or cold. The cake, however, is especially fabulous and fragrant warm from the oven.”

And now… without further ado, here is this week’s featured “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe:

Irish Apple Cake

An authentic Irish Farmhouse Apple Cake — delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons whole milk or cream
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • about 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced. Mine weighed a little over a pound after slicing.
  • confectioner’s (powdered) sugar for dusting

STREUSEL TOPPING

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

6 Tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut in small pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

CUSTARD SAUCE

6 large egg yolks

6 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups whole milk — you can also use half and half or cream

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Make the custard sauce ahead of time. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heal. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar until well combined. Drizzle a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Drizzle a little more, then transfer that back into the pan of hot milk and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do this slowly, over medium heat, and I like to use a silicone spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as it heats. The mixture will become velvety and thickened, but it will not be as thick as pudding. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t overcook or it can curdle. Stir in the vanilla.
  3. Pour the custard through a sieve (to catch any stray lumps) into a heat proof jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface so it won’t form a skin as it cools. Put in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
  4. To make the streusel topping,, blend the bits of butter into the flour, sugar, and oats until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a coarse crumbly texture. Put in the refrigerator.
  5. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  6. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, along with the milk or cream.
  7. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan, and smooth out evenly. Top with the sliced apples, and then the streusel. Note: no need to arrange the apples perfectly, but try to get them in an even layer.
  8. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
  9. Let cool a bit in the pan before removing. Dust with confectioner’s (powdered) sugar before serving.

So, there you have it: the recipe for Sue Moran’s Authentic Irish Apple Cake.

Even though autumn yielded to winter (and spring is just around the corner), I’m going to be making this Irish Cake this weekend since I’ve got a bag of apples that have been staring at me from the counter, just begging to be used. So, I’m (finally) answering their call. I’m hoping that regular 9-inch baking pans can be used instead of the springform pan since I don’t have one of those fancy pans! Only time will tell…

I hope you’ll heed the adage about life being short and give this recipe a try. (Personally, I like to think that life is LONG, but I’ll take whatever “reason” I can get to enjoy dessert first.) If you do — or you have a favorite recipe for apple cake that you’d like to share — please leave a comment below. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about March’s first “Tasty Tuesdays” featured recipe: Authentic Irish Apple Cake.