Instead of reheating day-old mashed potatoes and eating them as-is, why not do like the Irish and transform them into another more nutritious dish? Colcannon is essentially a mixture of mashed potatoes and cooked kale or cabbage, and it’s such a popular traditional dish that someone wrote a song about it. It’s an easy and inexpensive showstopper for brunch entertaining, and to gild the lily, it can be made the night before and simply reheated in the oven before serving – just use a little TLC when handling the patties to maintain their shape. Top each with smoked salmon and a poached or sunny-side-up egg and be prepared to impress.
Makes approximately 12, 3-inch patties
Ingredients
| 3 Cups | Yukon gold potatoes, pre-cooked and mashed |
| 3 Tbsp | unsalted butter |
| 4 Cups | kale or cabbage, finely chopped |
| 3 stalks | green onion, green and white parts, thinly sliced |
| 2 pinches | nutmeg, freshly grated (make sure they’re good pinches) |
| 2 Tbsp | water |
| ¼ Cup | milk |
| sea salt and freshly cracked black or white pepper, to taste | |
| 2 Tbsp | all purpose flour |
| grapeseed or canola oil for frying |
Directions
- Preheat a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Once heated, add the butter, kale or cabbage, and green onions. Stir and sauté for 1 minute, then add the water, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Continue to stir and sauté until the kale is soft and tender, approximately 4 minutes.
- Transfer kale mixture to a bowl and add the mashed potatoes and milk. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary to taste. Using clean hands, form the colcannon into patties approximately 1.5-inches thick and lay onto a baking tray. Once all are formed, sprinkle both sides lightly and evenly with flour.
- If serving immediately, preheat oven to 275F. Preheat the same large sauté pan used earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add about a tablespoon of oil and fry the patties 3 or 4 at a time for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Avoid flipping patties until the side you’re frying is golden brown to prevent sticking. Transfer browned patties to a cooling rack and hold in the preheated oven until ready to serve.
- To dress colcannon patties, top with a poached or sunny-side-up egg, some smoked salmon and a lemon wedge and serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
