Equipment
Ingredients
Sausages
- 450 g minced pork
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 garlic, crushed
- 3 g parsley, chopped
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper
Colcannon
- 1500 g potatoes, scrubbed
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 500 g green cabbage, sliced, outer leaves removed
- 250 ml milk, hot
- 6 g parsley, chopped
Apple Sauce
- 1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 15 ml water
- 25 g granulated sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 979 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbohydrates
- 78 g
- Fat
- 60 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 456 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 24 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 26 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 188 mg
- Potassium
- 2315 mg
- Calcium
- 328 mg
- Iron
- 14.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 141 mg
- Phosphorus
- 484 mg
- Zinc
- 4.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 233 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 115 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 41 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.65 mg
- Niacin
- 9.7 mg
- Folate
- 97 mcg
- Water
- 489 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Mix the minced pork, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, crushed garlic, and chopped parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then fry a small piece to test the flavor and adjust if needed.
Divide the pork mixture into 12 equal portions and roll them into sausage shapes. Place them on a tray or plate.
Warm the vegetable oil in a frying pan over low to medium heat. Fry the sausages for 12-15 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they reach an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F and are golden brown.
Place scrubbed potatoes in a saucepan of salted water and boil for 10 minutes at 100°C/212°F. Drain most of the water, then cover and simmer on low heat until the potatoes are tender.
Drain any remaining water. Once cool enough to touch, peel the potatoes and mash them with 50g of butter until smooth.
Melt the remaining 50g of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced cabbage and 30ml of water. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage is tender.
Stir the cooked cabbage into the mashed potatoes. Mix in most of the hot milk and the remaining parsley. Season with salt and pepper, beating until creamy and adding more milk if the mixture is too thick.
Combine the chopped apple and 15ml of water in a small saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apple softens into a pulp. Stir in the sugar.
Serve a portion of colcannon with a small knob of butter in the center. Arrange three sausages on the side and finish with a spoonful of warm apple sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Use a floury potato variety like Maris Piper or Russet for the fluffiest colcannon texture.
- Always cook a small 'test patty' of the sausage meat to ensure the salt level is correct before shaping the whole batch.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store components separately for best texture.
Freezer: 1 month — Raw sausages can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat colcannon and sausages in a pan over medium heat until an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F is reached.
Troubleshooting
Sausages fall apart during frying
Cause: Insufficient binding or handled too much while raw
Fix: Handle very gently with tongs; do not over-flip.
Prevention: Ensure the egg is fully incorporated and chill the shaped sausages for 30 minutes before cooking.
Colcannon is thin or soupy
Cause: Too much milk added at once or potatoes not drained well
Fix: Cook the mixture over low heat while stirring to evaporate excess moisture.
Prevention: Drain potatoes thoroughly and add milk in small increments.
Cultural Context
This dish is a hearty celebration of traditional British and Irish comfort food. Colcannon, a staple in Ireland, is a peasant dish of mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage and butter, historically served on Halloween. Sausages have been a popular and affordable meat product in Britain for centuries, evolving from simple spiced meats to the diverse varieties available today.
