Kiss me, I'm Irish: Colcannon

Rob's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, which means guaranteed party!! It also means a good recipe that serves a small army comes in handy, though outside of a potluck situation I'd say this serves twelve. There are a couple things you could substitute, like cooked ham for the bacon, kale for cabbage or leaks for green onions. This is also one of those times when I don't use flat leaf parsley because it just doesn't look as festive! Whatever you do, just be sure to season generously.

Colcannon
(serves 12)

2 1/2 c milk, heated
6 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold)
4 sticks butter
2 lbs bacon, cooked and chopped
2 cabbages, cored and coped into strips
8 green onions, chopped fine
parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

1) Set a pot of water to boil. Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil until fork tender in salted water. Drain and mash.

2) Add in two stick of butter in pats, then gradually add the heated milk.

3) Heat some more water to a boil and add the chopped cabbage and 2 tbs of butter. Cover and leave for two minutes, then drain and combine with potatoes.

4) add the scallions, chopped bacon and remaining butter to the mixture then season generously. Top with chopped parsley and serve warm.

But That's Poor People Food

Some of the greatest and most timeless of dishes are what some might call "poor people food". Certainly the cookbooks of most Italians are full of the recipes of everyday cooks, and the food of the Irish is no different.

While living in New Orleans I was searching for some corned beef at the local Winn-Dixie. It was still a month out from St. Patrick's Day - for which, of course, there's a parade replete with thrown cabbages - but I still thought it perfectly reasonable that a grocer would stock corned beef. After all, my hometown, predominately German and Irish, was well versed in the practice of stocking ethnic foods. Here in the deep South, however, corned beef was fast becoming my Holy Grail. I finally snagged a butcher, and when told what I was looking for he promptly and disdainfully declared, "Buh thass po' people foohd"! Yes, that's my best attempt at the New Orleans accent in type. Don't question it. In any case, I was more than a little amused by this response as we were both shopping and working, respectively, in a Winn Dixie.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, though, and grocery stores are chock full of poor people food from cabbage to potatoes, and many Americans can look forward to one of the best things done for cuisine and the sandwich: a traditional dinner of corned beef and veg.

(Most brisket come with their own mysterious "seasoning packets", and if you were ever wondering what was in there or have corned your own beef, the components are below)


Corned Beef
(yield dependent on weight)

Corned Beef Brisket
1 large onion, quartered
3 lbs potatoes, quartered (Yukon Gold are my favorites)
4-6 carrots, chopped about the same size as the potato quarters
cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
cloves
8-10 allspice berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Bottle of Guinness or a couple cups of beef stock(optional)

1) place the beef in a large stockpot and cover with water (add Guinness or beef stock if you like). Bring to a boil and ladle off any fat that rises to the top. Reduce to a simmer.

2) dot the onion with cloves and add it, and the remaining spices, to the pot. Let everything simmer for about two hours, or until the brisket is nearly fork tender.

3) add the potatoes and carrots and cook for about 10-15 minutes until not quite tender; then add the cabbage.

4) continue simmering until everything is tender, then slice the beef and serve with the vegetables.