Northern Irish Champ Recipe

With St. Patrick’s Day upon us once again, here is a Northern Ireland version of mashed potato that is savoury and doesn’t take longer to make than regular mashed potatoes.  Northern Irish champ was probably one of the first meals I had upon my arrival to this great land over eight years ago.  It’s delicious as is, as a side dish, or with various toppings.  In fact, I ate it almost daily for the first few weeks I was here as it was delicious, inexpensive from a nearby take-away in Belfast, and so versatile.  I could never get bored of Irish champ!

 Ingredients for Northern Irish Champ

• Bunch spring onions (green onions), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 250ml     semi-skimmed milk
• 1.3kg       Floury potatoes peeled and cubed
•                unsalted butter

 How to make Northern Irish Champ

1)                  Put the spring onions in a saucepan with the milk.

2)                Bring almost to the boil, remove from heat and leave to stand.

3)                Boil the potatoes until tender.

 4)                Drain thoroughly and return to the pan.

5)                Add half the infused milk and mash well until smooth.

6)                Beat in the remaining milk and season to taste.

7)                Turn into a serving dish and dot with a little butter to serve.

This version of mashed potato from Northern Ireland is very popular from fast food eateries to gastro restaurants.

Some toppings you may wish to try on your Northern Irish champ are:

Bacon and grated cheese; baked beans; curry; sausage and gravy; or anything you may have around and wish to try!

I’ve just been faced with some sad news…Spuds in Belfast has closed…but it’s memory will live on in my memory and my cooking!  For another Irish dish, why not try colcannon with your next meal?

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