Vegetarian Recipe: Colcannon

• 2-1/2 to 3 lbs baking potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
• 1 small sprig or Savoy cabbage
• 1 cup boiling milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 Tablespoons butter

Scrub the potatoes. Put them into a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to a boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked — about 15 minutes for old potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water. Replace the lid on the saucepan, put onto a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are fully cooked.

Remove the dark outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash the rest and cut into quarters, remove the core and cut each quarter finely across the grain. Boil in a little boiling salted water until soft. Drain, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little butter.

When the potatoes are just cooked, bring the milk to a boil in a separate pan. Pull the skin off the potatoes, mash quickly while they are still warm and beat in enough boiling milk to make a fluffy puree. (If you have a large quantity, put the potatoes in the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the paddle. Then stir in about the same volume of cooked cabbage and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately in a hot dish, with a lump of butter melting in the center.

Colcannon may be prepared ahead and reheated later in a 350– oven for about 20-25 minutes. Leftovers may be formed into farls (potato cakes) and fried in bacon fat until crisp and brown on both sides.