Make Ahead

Turnip Greens Colcannon---Best Mashed Potatoes with Butter

May 23, 2012
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 25 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Turnip or daikon greens are delicious in this traditional Irish dish for spring and makes it available all year long. We always need a low-calorie version (explained here) made at the same time. Enjoy! —BoulderGalinTokyo

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 kilo Potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), scrubbed
  • 1 stick salted butter (the real stuff), about 1 1/2 Tablespoon/person, but the kids always want more...)
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 4 cups turnip greens, kale, or daikon* greens, soaked, then stems and leaves separated
  • 1 cup 2% milk (or regular milk)
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • salt, lightly
  • 100 grams (4 oz.) turnip (mild or sweet type such as Hakurei or Macomber), not peeled, chopped (for low-calorie portion)
  • 1 Stick Butter, (the good stuff, just because)
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush, and remove any eyes or cuts. Add potatoes and boil until soft, about 25 minutes (depends on the size of your potatoes). Remove potatoes from water to a colander and cover the pot to conserve heat. Cool potatoes somewhat, then pull skin off.
  2. Bring the potato water to a rolling boil, add stems, and bring back to a boil, then time for about one minute. Add leaves and boil another minute. When done, the greens should be tender, not mush, and color should still be green. Drain, and immediately put in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Drain, lightly squeeze, chop in 1/4 inch pieces.
  3. In a large bowl, mash potatoes leaving some lumps. Add onion, milk and yogurt. Lightly salt (saltiness will come from the butter). Use pepper if you wish. If making alow-calorie portion, save 1/2 cup of greens with the turnip. Add the rest of greens to the potato bowl. Mix.
  4. Low Calorie Portion: Take out the proportion of potato mixture you want, say half or 25%, and put into a different bowl. Add the extra half cup of greens and the chopped turnip.
  5. To Serve: Melt butter in microwave or over low heat. Put potatoes on individual plates in a mound, depress the center with the back of a spoon. Fill center with melted butter. Each bite should have a little butter.
  6. Low-Calorie Portion has butter too. Just because. (Eliminated cream in potatoes) The point is not to deprive but to feel contentment so you won't desire butter the rest of the week.
  7. NOTES: I used Kita Akari and Piruka potato. Try combining some of the newer and less starchy varieties of potato on the market.
  8. *If using Daikon Greens, they will take an extra 1 or 2 minutes to cook depending on the thickness of the stems. Broccoli leaves are good too but take a little longer to cook. It used to be the throw away part of the vegetable, but you could also use kale.
  9. Lately, I have been steaming my potatoes and really like the finished potato (and not losing vitamins in the boiling water).

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • LeBec Fin
    LeBec Fin
  • boulangere
    boulangere
  • BoulderGalinTokyo
    BoulderGalinTokyo

4 Reviews

LeBec F. May 24, 2012
i used to think i hated all turnips, but have discovered the hakurei and macombers to be tasty. What a delicious way to get me to love turnips more!!
thx,
mindy
 
BoulderGalinTokyo May 25, 2012
I agree LBF, they have come up with some new tasty varieties. Would be great in those yummy spring rolls of yours!
 
boulangere May 23, 2012
Very clever!
 
BoulderGalinTokyo May 25, 2012
Thanks, boulangere, feels good coming from someone as inspired as you are!