Traditional Ulster Champ
(broo-cheen)
The Evening Tea: Quick Potato Comforts
Champ is nothing more than hot potatoes smashed with milk-steeped supermarket scallions. If colcannon is the parade-day novelty, champ is the quiet, rainy-Tuesday reality of the Irish hearth, relying on one vital trick to elevate it from mere green-onion mash: you steep the scallions in scalding milk before folding them into the potatoes. This gentle steeping softens the sharp allium bite into an earthy, sweet aromatic; grab grass-fed Kerrygold butter, a pile of starchy Russets, and respect the method—steam your boiled spuds dry in the hot pot so they’re thirsty enough to drink up the dairy, leaving a crater for the butter.
Ingredients
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes2 1/2 lb
- scallions1 large bunch
- whole milk1 1/4 cup
- salted Irish butter8 tbsp
- kosher saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
Method
- 01
Boil the potatoes.
Place the potato chunks in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add a heavy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork pierces them easily with zero resistance.
- 02
Steep the scallions in the warm milk.
While the potatoes are boiling, place the whole milk and sliced scallions in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a very gentle simmer—do not let it reach a rolling boil—and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to soften the onions. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let steep. This is the secret to authentic champ.
- 03
Steam the potatoes dry.
Once tender, drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander and immediately return them to the hot, empty pot. Let them sit on the warm stove with the heat turned off for about 2 minutes, giving the pot a gentle shake to evaporate the residual surface water.
- 04
Mash the potatoes with butter.
Using a hand masher or a potato ricer, mash the dry potatoes until smooth. Add half of the butter directly into the hot potatoes and mash until completely melted.
- 05
Fold in the infused dairy.
Pour the warm, scallion-infused milk directly over the buttery mashed potatoes. Fold it together gently with a wooden spoon until the mixture is incredibly creamy, fluffy, and flecked with green. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
- 06
Serve with the traditional butter well.
Scoop a generous mound into individual shallow bowls and use the back of your spoon to press a deep well into the center of each. Drop a tablespoon of the remaining butter into each well to melt into a golden pool. Eat from the outside in, dipping each spoonful into the butter before it hits your mouth.
Notes
Fry the leftovers for breakfast.
Do what Ulster grandmothers do with cold leftover champ: form it into flat, round patties, dust them lightly in flour, and fry in a skillet with bacon fat or butter until golden brown on both sides. Serve alongside fried eggs.
Seek out the right butter.
Standard American butter lacks the fat content and flavor profile of grass-fed Irish dairy. Look for Kerrygold at your local supermarket; it is non-negotiable for achieving that authentic homeland flavor.
From Cook Irish-American Food.