Foodworks ★ 3.8
Foodworks on Parliament Street offers farm-to-fork lunches under €14 that draw directly from the owners' family farm, consistently strong value for money.
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1kg floury potatoes (Roosters or Kerr's Pinks), peeled and halved
- 1 small savoy cabbage, cored and finely shredded
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced (white and green parts separate)
- 100g salted Irish butter
- 150ml whole milk, warmed
- 100ml double cream
- Freshly grated nutmeg, pinch
- Sea salt, white pepper
- 30g butter and 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the crispy cabbage finish
- 60g streaky bacon, finely diced (optional)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until completely tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain well and let steam-dry in the colander for 3 minutes.
- In another pan, bring 1cm of salted water to a boil. Blanch shredded cabbage 2 minutes until just tender, drain, refresh under cold water, squeeze dry.
- Mash potatoes thoroughly with 80g butter, warm milk, and cream until smooth. Stir in the white parts of the spring onion.
- Fold the blanched cabbage through the mash. Season with salt, white pepper, and a tiny grating of nutmeg.
- For the crispy top: heat remaining butter and oil in a wide pan. Add bacon (if using) and cook 4 minutes until crisp.
- Add a generous handful of the remaining shredded cabbage and the green spring onion tops. Fry 3 minutes until edges crisp.
- Mound colcannon into warmed bowls. Make a well in the centre with the back of a spoon, drop in a knob of cold butter to melt.
- Crown with the crispy cabbage and bacon mix. Scatter parsley and serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. Steam-dry the boiled potatoes for a full 3 minutes before mashing; wet potatoes give a heavy, gluey colcannon, dry ones give a fluffy mash that holds the cabbage.
Where to eat colcannon with crispy cabbage
Colcannon with Crispy Cabbage in Kilkenny
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Kyteler's Inn on St Kieran's Street serves over 90 Irish whiskeys with live trad music in a medieval building that stays open until 00:30 most nights.
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