Real Simple (November 2016)
And as longtime readers know, we're a sucker for odd Thanksgiving words. Spatchcock. Shrub. Sformato.
So when we were browsing through this year's recipes, our eyes jumped right to Colcannon. We'd never heard of it. What, pray tell, is a Colcannon?
Turns out, it's a combination of either cabbage or kale with potatoes. We'd never seen it featured in a food magazine (or if we had, we'd never seen it called Colcannon), but we were in the market for a potato dish, and this seemed like as good a choice as any, with kale thrown in to liven up mashed potatoes.
This Kale Colcannon is dead simple -- and surprisingly delicious.
There are very few ingredients, just kale, potatoes, olive oil and salt and pepper. And the method (cook the potatoes, cook the kale, mash the heck out of it all) is incredibly simple.
Sometimes, simple on the Thanksgiving plate really works. This, to us, is one of those times. Kale Colcannon should have a well-deserved place at your table.
We'll leave you with the lyrics to a traditional Irish song, "Colcannon." Because really, shouldn't ever Thanksgiving dish have its own song?
Here's this one:
Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?
The chorus:
Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I'm to cry.
Oh, wasn't it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.
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Kale Colcannon
Real Simple (November 2016)
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(This photo: Marcus Nilsson for Real Simple)
NOTES FROM ZACH AND CLAY:
We made this dish a day in advance and stored it in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. It reheated wonderfully.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
12 ounces curly kale, ribs removed
⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Place the potatoes in a large pot with salted water to cover and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium- low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Return the water to a boil.
Add the kale to the boiling water; cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove, rinse under cold water, and squeeze out the excess liquid. Finely chop.
Mash the potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper with a potato masher. Stir in the kale.
