Champ is 100% Irish, boiled potatoes are mixed with plenty of butter, milk and chopped fried spring onions. Also known as ‘poundies’ these mashed potatoes are similar to another Irish potato dish called colcannon, which uses kale or cabbage in the place of onions. Most recipes call for infusing the spring onions in milk, I like frying mine to add crispy crunch to each forkful.
I bought these Rooster potatoes, which are Bord Bia approved, from the Ocado Irish Shop. This bag steams in the microwave, so when they’re cooked, you simply mash them or put them through a potato ricer to get a really smooth puree.
This recipe serves 4.
It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and between 10 and 20 minutes to cook.
Ingredients
1kg bag of Keogh’s Rooster steam-in-the-bag potatoes or 1kg of good mashing potatoes such as Maris Piper
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped into small pieces.
125g Kerrygold butter with a little extra for serving
150ml/¼ full cream milk
Salt and pepper
Method
If you have the Rooster potatoes, follow the instructions on the packet. If not, boil potatoes whole with the skin on for about 30-40 minutes in a large saucepan. Drain and peel off the skins (if you wish). Keep hot with the lid on the pan.
In a small frying pan, heat a knob of butter and add the spring onions, season and cook until they begin to crisp. Meanwhile, heat the milk but do not boil.
If you use the Rooster potatoes, release them from their bag but be careful of escaping steam.
Mash in a large bowl then take batches and force the soft potato through a stainless steel sieve over another bowl – the skins will be left on the sieve. In the bowl underneath, you’ll be left with soft ‘riced’ potato. Add the milk, butter and onions and return to the heat.
Serve in large bowl, make a hole in it’s centre and add a knob of butter. Or alternatively, serve on the side of the plate of stew.
