Colcannon
This is a traditional Irish dish normally made from potato and cabbage. It bears similarity to English Bubble n Squeak and American Hash Browns, and my version of the recipe encompasses all three. I've stuck with the name Colcannon out of some misplaced sense of national pride. It'll probably pass.
Ingredients
500g Potatoes
1 medium-sized onion
Half a small cabbage
2 sprigs of parsley
2 Chive stalks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Firstly you need to wash the potatoes. You can also peel them if you feel so inclined. I, however, do not as I feel the unpeeled potatoes add a nice texture. You can skip the washing stage for eve more texture if you feel so otherwise inclined but I think that's taking it a bit far.
Take a cheese grater or something similar and grate the potato finely. I tend to use the slightly larger holes on my cheese-grater. You may skip this altogether and just chop the spuds up into little chunks manually but I think you get the best results if you grate them.
Put your grated potato to once side and start chopping your onion finely too. I'll assume you've already done the process of peeling the onions and weeping appropriately. It's best to do this as keeping the onions in their skin really doesn't benefit the recipe in any way. Throw the skins in your compost or use them to make clothes or whatever hippy thing people do with onion skin these days.
Chop up your herbs and cabbage the same way... you basically know where this recipe is going by now; everything is minced. You may choose to tear your herbs if you wish. I don't think it makes much of a difference here. This isn't delicate grub.
Throw all ingredients into a bowl, including the seasoning, and mix them well. With a spoon or with your hands, or whatever. I've heard some folk add butter or some other binding ingredient but I rarely bother. Egg might hold it together well but if you were hoping for a vegan dish you've banjanxed yourself at that point.
Heat some sunflower oil or butter or such in a frying pan at medium heat. When it's hot enough pour in your minced potato mush. Press it down to form a pancake or patty in the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and let cook until the potato at the bottom is crispy golden brown. Hopefully it's become a bit more solid at this point. If it hasn't it should affect the flavour. It'll just be a bit messier. Cut the "pancake" into quarters and flip them to cook the opposite side.
When golden brown over all, take from the heat and drain on some kitchen towel.
Serve with Fried egg and bacon or something.
Die from heart disease.
