Step aside, corned beef.
Forget about corned beef: these Colcannon Cakes are my new favorite Irish comfort food. Loaded with bacon, kale, and onion, these mashed potato pancakes are crisp on the outside with a soft and savory middle. Add a generous dollop of sour cream and a confetti of green onion, and it’s basically a party on your plate.
While colcannon (mashed potatoes folded together with sauteed kale or cabbage) is well-known Irish side dish, these colcannon cakes are not necessarily traditional to the Emerald Isle. Inspired by a second great mashed potato tradition (mashed potato cakes!), they endeavor to take that classic Irish comfort food to the next level.
Many recipes for colcannon or mashed potato cakes call for leftover mashed potatoes, but for this recipe, I recommend making the mashed potatoes from scratch. Leftover mashed potatoes vary widely in consistency and flavor, so it’s difficult to predict how much flour or additional salt will be needed to get the right flavor or texture in a cake made them. On the other hand, making fresh mashed potatoes doesn’t add that much time or complexity to the recipe, and will guarantee consistent perfectly soft, fluffy results.
Some recipes also call for dredging the shaped potato cake patties in flour before frying, but in testing, I found this both finicky and unnecessary. While the batter is stiffer than pancake batter, it’s still fairly loose, making it difficult to dredge the patties without packing them with tons of excess flour. And since the patties aren’t deep-fried, any flour on the sides will never cook off—and NO ONE wants a dusting of raw flour on the sides of their colcannon cakes. Instead, I recommend scooping the batter directly into the pan, similar to how you would a regular pancake.
Soft and tender, and loaded with savory bacon and kale, these colcannon cakes are sure to be your new favorite comfort food. They’re perfect for a party, a weeknight dinner, a midnight snack . . . or all of the above.
Enjoy!
Colcannon Cakes
(Makes 12)
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp. plus 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
½ cup milk
1 tbsp. plus 4 tsp. unsalted butter
3 c. thinly sliced kale
3 scallions, finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark parts
¼ lb. sliced bacon, chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup (80 g.) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp. vegetable oil, for frying
Sour cream, for serving
Special equipment: sieve or ricer
Method
Combine potatoes and 1 tablespoon kosher salt in a medium pot. Add water to cover and heat over high until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and pass through a sieve or a ricer. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in milk. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add white and light green scallion parts and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add kale and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook until wilted but still bright green, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
Add bacon to pan and set over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
Add egg, flour, kale mixture, bacon, pepper, and half of dark green scallions to mashed potatoes and, with a rubber spatula, fold in until blended. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold, 30-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with a wire rack. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat.
Using a ¼ cup as a guide, scoop 3 cakes into the pan and cook until golden-brown on the bottom, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until golden brown, 1-2 minutes more. Remove to wire rack to cool and sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat three times with remaining batter, oil, and butter.
Serve warm with sour cream and remaining dark green scallions.
Originally posted March 18, 2023
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