Colcannon

There are many variations of this irish dish.I make colcannon every St Patrick's Day and this recipe I tried last year and I will make it again this year.It is from one of my absolute favorite books,Mrs.Sharp's Traditions by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Mrs. Sharp's Colcannon
1 pound new potatoes, peeled
4 leeks, chopped
1 small cabbage, chopped
milk (just enough to moisten the potatoes)
3 T heavy cream
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 tsp ground thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a pot of boiling water to a boil and cook potatoes until tender.Slowly saute the chopped leeks and chopped cabbage seperately until soft and limp (but not brown).
Mash the potatoes with a hand masher, then add the leeks and milk and mash together until smooth.Next mash in the cabbage,adding the heavy cream,butter and thyme;blend well until smooth and fluffy.Season with salt and pepper.Put the mixture into a casserole dish and place it under the broiler to brown.