Post by Kate on Oct 21, 2022 1:17:45 GMT -5
Colcannon: Irish Fortune-telling Dish for Halloween
Halloween is so widely celebrated today it is easy to overlook its ancient origins. Still, in most English-speaking countries, people know Halloween is the present-day version of the ancient Celtic fire festival known as Samhain. The event took place every year when the constellation Pleiades was almost directly overhead, which occurred around what is now October 31st. At this time, it was believed the veil between life and the “Otherworld” was at it thinnest, a time when the spirits of the dead and members of the fairy realm could interact with mortals, and there is evidence some tribes prepared certain foods, possibly as a means of enticing their lost loved ones to visit.
History tells us that by around AD 43, the Roman Empire had taken over most of the Celtic lands, and the Romans brought many of their celebrations and traditions with them. Later, the Church introduced its own celebrations and now October 31, November 1 and November 2 are, respectively, Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
So how did Irish potatoes, which are native to the American continent and weren’t introduced to Ireland until the 18th century become associated with Halloween? Once the spuds made their debut, they were combined with butter, milk, onions, cabbage or kale to produce a treat called colcannon, so it was only a matter of time before the tasty dish was added to other end-of- harvest staples and the macabre Halloween feast.
There are regional variations, with some cooks adding bacon, chives, corned beef or ham, but if you’re interested in a simple fortune-telling dish for your Halloween table, the following colcannon recipe is super easy. Good luck!
Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tsps. salt, divided
1 stick butter, plus an additional amount for serving
3 cups chopped cabbage or kale
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup milk
Directions: Place the chopped potatoes in a large pot of boiling water and add a pinch of salt. Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes, and drain in a colander. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once melted, add the cabbage (or kale) and sauté until wilted, around 3-4 minutes. Then add the green onions. Return the drained potatoes to the large pot and mash them with a masher before adding the cabbage/kale and green onions. Add the milk to the pot. Using a spoon, mix the ingredients until smoothe. Add salt to taste and serve with extra butter.
Sources: Nico Danilovich, MSN, October 20, 2022; IrishCentral; The Smithsonian; Kitchen Witch; and Joanna.
