St. Patrick's Day Countdown: Colcannon
Written by Vicky on Mar. 12, 2026 | 0 Comments
With just a few days left in our countdown to March 17, we have another offer and some potato-y goodness for you for Day 12! I'm sharing today as I am the real Colcannon fan amongst the My Irish Jeweler team.
Though Colcannon is a firm favorite for many here in Ireland at any point of the year, it’s traditionally eaten around Hallowe’en and St Patrick’s Day, occasions when what we now call ‘comfort food’ is all the more compelling. As the days shorten in the Autumn/Fall, and now again, when they’re still not quite as bright as we’d like them to be, nothing is as soothing as a healthy dose of carbs and greens!
One of the 300+ entries in The Schools’ Collection, of the National Foklore Collection that talk about Colcannon. This one outlines the fortune telling properties of Colcannon on Hallowe'en!
Photo Credit: Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
This recipe, which is now most commonly served as a side dish, could definitely be stretched to be a main meal as it was in times gone by: served in a large bowl with a well in the center filled with butter that melts for dipping! The original version mixed potatoes with cabbage, hence the name cál ceannann, meaning 'white-headed cabbage.' Kale was also used when in season, and when combined with buttermilk, made a filling and nutritious dinner for the whole household.
Extremely well-cooked cabbage is a rite of passage for any child growing up in Ireland!
Cheap and easy to grow in Ireland year-round, cabbage is at the core of a few national staples. It’s also very good for you when it’s not boiled to mush, the way I remember with dread from my childhood! In honor of Gemma’s love of kale, however, we are using it in the recipe below.
Nowadays, Colcannon is often paired with rich winter stews, braised beef, any kind of a roast, as “posh” bangers and mash, or more traditionally with a joint of bacon. As an aside, we shared an excellent recipe for honey-glazed ham at Christmas. Y’know. Just in case you’re interested…
So well-known and well-loved is this potato-y deliciousness that there’s even a song that references it repeatedly. It’s known as Colcannon or sometimes, The Little Skillet Pot, and you can listen to it sung by Mary Black. (If you pay close attention, you will hear it references two of our other potato recipes, too!)
A quick note: the song references Colcannon made with ‘pickled cream’, which in this case, means buttermilk. This is the by-product of churning cultured cream into butter, and it used to be something people drank enthusiastically. However, it’s now mostly used in soda bread, scones, and pancakes here in Ireland. If you’re determined to keep it traditional, go right ahead and use buttermilk. If you prefer to use regular butter and milk instead, that’s also absolutely fine.
Right. Are you hungry now? Let’s get to work, so!
Ingredients (Feeds 4)
- 2lbs or 1kg potatoes, peeled. We all agree Roosters work well, but you can use whatever potatoes you prefer for mashing.
- 1/2lb or 250g curly kale, well-washed and finely sliced; discard any thick stalks
- 2/5 cup or 100mls full fat milk
- 1/2 cup or 100g butter
OR
- 2/3 cup or 150mls of buttermilk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Optional: Half a bunch of scallions / spring onions as garnish.
Method
- Wash and peel your potatoes, then cut them into similarly sized pieces.
- Boil in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until good and soft.
- While your potatoes are boiling, cook the kale.
- Heat a knob of butter with two tbsp of water in a lidded pan. When the butter’s melted, drop in the kale with a pinch of salt. (I know we say this every time, but we love Achill Island Sea Salt in our house. It’s fine to use whatever you have, though.)
- Pop the lid on and give the pan a good shake to spread the butter over the kale. Cook it over a high heat for a minute. Shake and leave for another minute.
- Drain off any liquid, and then add pepper to taste. (Some prefer to leave this to the final tasting stage, and that’s OK.)
- Drain your potatoes, then pour in the milk or buttermilk. Now you have the fun part: mashing your potatoes until they’re properly lump-free. (Feel free to ask any passersby in the kitchen to help with this bit!)
- Next, add the kale and any remaining butter. (Note: from an Irish perspective, it’s almost impossible to add too much butter to Colcannon! There are entries in the Folklore Collection that mention using melted butter to dip each spoonful of Colcannon before it's eaten! Aah, the days before we worried about food pyramids, eh?!)
- Taste and season as you see fit.
What's Next?
Check back in with us tomorrow for Day 13 of our St. Patrick's Day countdown, or open Door Number 12 of our 17 Days of celebratory offers!
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Vicky
My Irish Jeweler
My Welsh grandmother introduced me to two of my great loves in life before I was four years of age: she taught me to read and, under careful supervision, permitted me to look through her jewelry box. Stories and shiny things have been my passions ever since!
In the forty years I have lived here, Ireland has changed dramatically in virtually every aspect. Among its constants, though, is a rich tradition of decorative adornment and storytelling in all its forms: from the ancient carvings at Newgrange, the beautiful golden torcs in the National Museum, and the world-famous Book of Kells, to our modern designers, writers, musicians, and craftspeople. Celtic creativity is more powerful today than ever, and that is why it's my honor to share our stories and witness yours.
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