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Starchy, buttery, and velvety creamy, laced with peppery notes from the scallions, my Irish champ recipe is the perfect comfort dish to chow down with on a cold winter’s evening with sizzling hot pies, meats, and lots of other delicious mains.
Irish Champ Recipe
What is Irish Champ?
Potatoes play an integral role in so many cuisines across the world, and Ireland, in particular, has a long and important association with the starchy vegetable.
Also known as “poundies,” Irish champ is a wholesome dish of mashed potatoes mixed with milk, butter, chopped scallions, and optionally salt and pepper. Centuries ago, it was made with nettles rather than scallions.
Traditionally, the dish has always been served for Samhain, a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. Champ, along with other potato-based dishes like colcannon, provided the nourishment and fuel the Irish needed to get through the harsh winters.
My recipe closely follows what is deemed traditional champ, and if you’re looking for a filling, comforting, and gloriously creamy dish to enjoy with pies, meats, and soups, give this beloved Irish staple a try.
Ingredients
To make my simple Irish champ recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Potatoes – 2 pounds of potatoes
- Milk – 1 cup milk
- Butter – 4 tbsp unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp more to serve
- Scallions – 1 bunch (about 1/2 cup chopped)
- Salt – salt, to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Peel and cut the potatoes into thick, relatively even slices.
Step 2 – To a large pot, add the potatoes, about 1 tbsp of salt, and cover with cold water (about 1-2 inches over). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat (about 10 minutes), and then simmer the potatoes for about 15 minutes until tender.
It took me 25 minutes total time (using Maris Piper potatoes cut into relatively large pieces) – 10 minutes to bring to a boil and 15 minutes of simmering time.
You can check if potatoes are fully cooked by inserting a pairing knife through the middle, and if it goes in easily and slides out easily, it’s done!
Step 3 – While the potatoes are boiling, wash and finely chop the scallions.
Step 4 – Also, while the potatoes are boiling, warm up the milk and 4 tbsp of butter (over the stove, over low heat, takes about 3-4 minutes).
You can also warm up the milk and butter in the microwave in 30-second increments.
Step 5 – Drain the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher.
Step 6 – Add the hot milk-butter mixture a bit at a time while mashing with the potato masher.
Step 7 – Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt (to taste).
Step 8 – Add the chopped scallions.
Step 9 – Serve with more butter (about 2 tbsp) on top.
There is simply no end to the creamy, buttery goodness in this dish! I really hope you like it, and please let me know in the comments what you served it with. This, with a meat-based pie, is a match like no other!
Recipe Card
Irish Champ (Mashed Potatoes with Scallions)
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Additional Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 35 minutes mins
Author: Nomad Paradise
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of potatoes
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter plus 2 tbsp more to serve
- 1 bunch scallions/green onions about 1/2 cup chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
Peel and cut the potatoes into thick, relatively even slices.
To a large pot, add the potatoes, about 1 tbsp of salt, and cover with cold water (about 1-2 inches over). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat (about 10 minutes), and then simmer the potatoes for about 15 minutes until tender. It took me 25 minutes total time (using Maris Piper potatoes cut into relatively large pieces). You can check if the potatoes are fully cooked by inserting a pairing knife through the middle and if it goes in easily and slides out
easily, it’s done!While the potatoes are boiling, wash and finely chop the scallions.
Also, while the potatoes are boiling, warm up the milk and 4 tbsp of butter (over the stove, over low heat, takes about 3-4 minutes). You can also warm up the milk and butter in the microwave in 30-second increments.
Drain the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher.
Add the hot milk-butter mixture a bit at a time while mashing with the potato masher.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt (to taste).
Add the chopped scallions.
Serve with more butter (about 2 tbsp) on top.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nomadparadisefood or tag #nomadparadisefood!
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Doina Johnson Doina Johnson is a recipe developer and writer. Doina has been cooking for most of her life, and her style draws from many different influences. She cooked with her mother and grandma growing up in Eastern Europe, before adding modern, western influences to her style when living in the United States for about a decade. Then, she traveled full-time for several years, trying food in Europe, Asia, and South America, and bringing those influences into her own cooking. She strives to introduce passionate homecooks to world cuisine, generally by trying the food herself abroad and then recreating it at home and, at times, enlisting the help of local foodies and chefs. View all posts Nomad Paradise Hey there! We are Dale and Doina, the founders of Nomad Paradise. We traveled full-time for over three years, and while we now have a home base in the U.K., continue to take trips abroad to visit new places and try new cuisines and foods. Our food guides are curated with the guidance of local foodies, and their contribution is indicated under each article. We also cook the foods we try abroad, and you can discover how to make them in our 'recipes from around the world' category. View all posts
