How We Survived ... Colcannon

Author Notes

When I think of a dirt cheap meal, many things come to mind (including things that make me want to get up on a high horse about how so many "cheap" foods have hidden costs and that we overvalue low cost in our society when it comes to food and blahblahblah). But one of the main thoughts that pops into my head is about the foods that poor people, you know, the "commoners," have used to survive for centuries through dry seasons or long cold winters.

In much of the world, this survival food is rice and legumes, or cornmeal porridge. But for those of us from far far north, it was storage vegetables and protein sources you caught. Two of the most basic survival meals in Norway through the years were lamb and cabbage stew (actually they used to use mutton, now they use lamb), or codfish and potatoes. It's actually a little funny because these days, lamb and codfish aren't necessarily cheap. But cabbage and potatoes still are. And I nearly always have some hanging around.

So I decided to combine them for a dirt cheap dinner, augmenting them with the warm flavors of garlic and peppercorns. And then as I went to serve it, I realized, Oh, I've just recreated colcannon. Ha. But a super-delicious, personalized version of colcannon. And of course, as soon as I realized this, I had to run and get some butter to add the butter eye (is that what it's called in English?).

The trick to making this wonderful is to treat both the potato mashing and the cabbage cooking with great respect. I rice the potatoes instead of smashing them to keep them light. And I definitely think sautéing the cabbage is preferable to boiling (although boiling would correspond more with a lot of the food of my childhood!). It's filling enough to be a whole meal by itself and is easily doubled or even tripled. And it makes for a pretty balanced meal too.

If you have any leftovers, you can make them into potato-cabbage cakes the next day. Just stir in 1 beaten egg per 1 cup leftovers. Mix just until combined, then gently form the mixture into patties. Fry in butter until golden brown on each side. Yum. —fiveandspice

Test Kitchen Notes

"Fiveandspice's version of a classic Irish colcannon is truly a great recipe that keeps you coming back for more. The sautéed cabbage caramelized and added a nice texture and color to the mashed potatoes. I loved the garlic- and peppercorn-infused milk that mixed in with the potatoes. Filling enough to be served on its own, I paired the colcannon with a piece of grilled salmon for a delicious meal." - jvcooks —jvcooks