I am a generation removed from the homeland, but I think that you are describing bubble and squeak, which I always though was a separate dish. I've had both, I just never thought they were interchangeable - if only because of the troubles :)
Then I guess all those years growing up in Ireland, my mum & granny were wrong! And the colcannon made the next day after a proper Sunday joint of lamb or beef, as did most of my friends in the community wasn't proper. As I said, I never knew what corned beef was til I came to the US. Remember how badly the Irish were treated in Boston when they first came? So the only meat available to them were the cheap cuts, such as brisket. Hence the invention of corned beef. It is still more an American thing than an Irish thing. We still had a side of bacon as a real treat for occasions such as St Patrick's Day.
@usuba dashi That's dangerous ground you are treading! Bubble and squeak is a traditional English dish, as you said, made from leftovers of a ROAST dinner. Colcannon is completely different, an Irish dish prepared with fresh vegetables. I'm not sure how well the leftovers from a boiled dinner would hold up to such a preparation...
When I do cabbage, I usually get the curly Savoy type as it seems to be a bit sweeter. I cut into wedges, number will depend on how big the cabbage is, 1 wedge per person. I then steam the wedges until just tender. Then I heat a big saute pan over medium low heat add a tablespoon of butter, a bit of olive oil and some salt. Once foamy, I'll add in the wedges, cut side down to brown on one side. Turn and brown on the other. You get a wonderfully sweet but not overdone cabbage this way. Works great with halved brussel sprouts, too.
I love cooked cabbage, but not when it's limp and ghostly. And I figure since it's St. Patrick's Day, the cabbage should be a vibrant green, so I steam it over the corned beef.
I cook the corned beef in my biggest pot with enough water to cover it until it's just tender, still a teeny bit chewy. Then I remove it from the pot and allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing it into serving pieces. It goes back into the bottom of the pot and is topped with a layer of whole carrots (two per person), a layer of whole small red potatoes (two or three per person, depending on the size of the person and the potato), whole green beans (a handful per person). I cut the cabbage into sixths and place it cut-side down into the pot, then set the lid slightly askew over the pot. I bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. The level of the liquid in the pot should come up to the potatoes, which allows the green beans and cabbage to steam in the aromatic vapor while the carrots and potatoes boil gently for about 20 minutes.
I'm making World's Best Braised Cabbage from Molly Steven's Braising cookbook. It is truly the best and just about the only way I enjoy cooked cabbage. It becomes tender and the edges carmelize.
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/11/worlds-best-braised-cabbage-2.html
Follow gulenay's suggestion and add a little ground nutmeg. Colcannon, or for you Brits, bubble & squeak, is usually made the next day with the left overs. But, if you a really Irish, you don't eat corned beef . . it is an American thing. Instead, a side of Irish bacon or even better, salmon. I never knew what corned beef was til I came to the US
Colcannon is a traditional preparation (http://www.food52.com/recipes/10455_colcannon_mashed_potatoes_cabbage ). I've had it alongside our corned beef and cabbage every St. Patrick's day.
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I cook the corned beef in my biggest pot with enough water to cover it until it's just tender, still a teeny bit chewy. Then I remove it from the pot and allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing it into serving pieces. It goes back into the bottom of the pot and is topped with a layer of whole carrots (two per person), a layer of whole small red potatoes (two or three per person, depending on the size of the person and the potato), whole green beans (a handful per person). I cut the cabbage into sixths and place it cut-side down into the pot, then set the lid slightly askew over the pot. I bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. The level of the liquid in the pot should come up to the potatoes, which allows the green beans and cabbage to steam in the aromatic vapor while the carrots and potatoes boil gently for about 20 minutes.
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/11/worlds-best-braised-cabbage-2.html