Northern Irish Champ
"Purdies" – The Sacred Spud
Ask a grandmother in Donegal for mashed potatoes and you'll get Champ—a steaming, fragrant bowl of purdies that distills the rural Irish soul into something profoundly comforting. Known as Brúitín in the old tongue, this is no Americanized loaded potato. It is a sacred, unfussy marriage of floury potatoes, milk steeped with scallions, and an indecent amount of grass-fed butter. Historically left under hawthorn trees on Samhain to appease wandering spirits, tonight it belongs on a weeknight table. Serve it shaped like a volcano, drop a massive knob of butter in the center, and eat from the outside in, dragging every bite through the golden well.
Ingredients
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes3 lb
- scallions1 bunch
- whole milk1 1/4 cup
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- white pepper1/2 tsp
- salted Irish butter6 tbsp
Method
- 01
Boil the purdies.
Place the cubed potatoes into a large pot, cover with cold water by about an inch, and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer until completely fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- 02
Infuse the milk.
While the potatoes bubble away, combine the whole milk, sliced scallions, and white pepper in a small saucepan. Bring just to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then immediately drop the heat to its lowest setting and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
- 03
Mellow the alliums.
Remove the infused milk from the heat, drop in 2 tablespoons of the butter, cover the pot, and let the harsh onion bite mellow into a sweet, fragrant richness.
- 04
Parchen the potatoes.
Drain the tender potatoes thoroughly and immediately dump them back into the hot, empty pot. Let them sit on the warm stove with the heat off for about 2 minutes, shaking occasionally, allowing the excess surface steam to evaporate so they can absorb the dairy like a sponge.
- 05
Mash and fold.
Crush the potatoes thoroughly with a hand masher—never an electric mixer—then gently fold in the hot scallion milk and the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until you have a creamy mash flecked with bright green.
- 06
Build the volcano.
Transfer the hot Champ to a warm serving bowl, carve a deep well in the center with the back of a spoon, and drop a massive, unashamed knob of extra Irish butter into the well to melt into a golden pool.
Notes
The Weekend Method.
If you have a lazy Sunday and want to cook exactly like an 18th-century Irish grandmother, scrub the potatoes and boil them whole "in their jackets" for 40 minutes, peeling them while steaming hot to protect the starch completely.
Champ vs. Colcannon.
These two frequently get confused by the diaspora. The rule is simple: Colcannon has cabbage or kale; Champ uses only scallions.