This rather unattractive looking dish hails from Ireland and combines mashed potatoes with sautéed cabbage or kale for a hearty but nutritious side dish. The name comes from the Gaelic “cal ceannann”, meaning “white-headed cabbage”. More traditional recipes require some heavy dairy but plain almond milk and olive oil are good substitutes, with a little butter or Earth Balance thrown in at the end. Another variation I like is to cut the potatoes pretty small, into cubes around the size of dice and then steam them instead of boiling, a method that causes some of the nutrients to be lost in the water. If we are going to eat vegetables we may as well get the maximum nutritional benefit from them. Caraway is the only spice needed, it usually comes in the spice section as whole seeds. It is paired with cabbage in many European cuisines in several different dishes to which it adds a unique, lightly sweet and peppery flavor. In a dish as simple as this the caraway seeds really make a difference and complete it well. Also, if you have a couple rashers of cooked leftover bacon (regular, turkey or vegetarian) laying around you can cut them up and add them in. I like the lighter taste of savoy cabbage versus kale but both are traditional and completely legitimate options, or you could do half and half.
- 4 cups yellow potatoes, chopped into small pieces (around 1 lb)
- 3 cups savoy cabbage, shredded (around ½ head)
- 1 small yellow onion or leek, chopped very finely
- ½ cup plain unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds, ground or chopped as finely as possible
- Sea salt to taste
- Optional: 1 garlic clove, minced
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons butter (or Earth Balance for non-dairy)
- Set up a double boiler, with the bottom pot ⅔ full of water, and place over high heat on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in the potatoes, cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes. Set up a large skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil, once you can feel warmth coming from the pan (hold your hand an inch or two over) flick a few drops of water in, if they sizzle the oil is hot enough, if not give it another half minute and check again. Add in the caraway, onion, garlic, cabbage and a dash of sea salt, stirring occasionally until it is all cooked through, around 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add in a splash of water if it starts to brown too quickly or stick to the bottom. Once the potatoes are done place them in a large bowl with the almond milk and mash until there are no lumps left. Once the cabbage is done fold it into the potatoes and add a few pinches of salt, stirring and tasting as you go then add in the butter/Earth Balance and serve hot.
