I’ve been told I look “Irish” as long as I can remember. I have strawberry-blonde hair, blue eyes and freckles galore! I, however, cannot prove I have Irish blood because only half of my family tree can be traced.
With that being said, I love the Irish. They’re friendly, funny and know their whiskey ‑ just like me! So I claim I’m Irish-ish.
Sadly, I’ve never ventured into Irish cuisine … until now. Don’t get me wrong. When I worked in professional kitchens, I made countless corned beef and cabbage meals on St. Paddy’s Day, but I never attempted to try and put my spin on the infamous dish.
There’s a dish called Calcannon that’s very popular in Ireland. Basically, it’s mashed potatoes, cabbage (or kale), milk, salt and pepper. Back in the day, it was a staple food, but as the years went on, it became popular to serve on St. Patrick’s Day, alongside corned beef.
This international dish was my inspiration for my Calconnon: California style. Of course, I had to “zest” it up, so there are non-traditional ingredients, making it my style. I hope you enjoy.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Drink and eat responsibly. Cheers!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound red potatoes, washed, peeled, cut into 1-inch cube
1/2 pound russet potatoes, washed, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 head green cabbage, cored, finely shredded (approximately 1 pound)
1/2 pound bacon (about 6-7 thick slices)
2/3 cup milk, warmed in small skillet (don’t bring to boil!)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 ounces whiskey (I used Seagram’s 7)
1 small carrot, shredded with vegetable peeler
1/4 cup green onions, sliced thinly
3 teaspoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
DIRECTIONS
Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and cubed potatoes. Boil on med-high heat for 12 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork; drain and shake off excess water and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon thoroughly; drain then roughly chop cooked bacon; set aside. Reserve half of the bacon grease in skillet. Add garlic and thyme to bacon grease and cook for 1 minute on low heat.
Add whiskey. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage and cook an additional 7 minutes (the cabbage should start softening). Lower the heat to low and add carrots, green onions, bacon and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; simmer for 2 minutes.
Mash cooked potatoes (leaving them a little lumpy is perfect). Add paprika, warmed milk and remaining salt and pepper; stir until well blended.
Combine cabbage mixture with potatoes and fold gently. Serve with corned beef or eat by itself; call it yummy!
Esther the Zester 