The spud & the scallion gets me champing at the bit

Thank you for tuning in to Champ TV…

Happy happy joy joy… it’s been far too long since I had a big portion of champ. This is my nod to St Patrick’s Day and Irish cuisine, and a firm family favourite when we were kids.

Champ, or brúitín in the Irish, is mashed potato with scallions and butter. Over the last decade or so I’ve seen increasing references to ‘champed mashed potato’ on menus (alongside colcannon mash, also delicious) and it’s nice to see such a homely favourite crop up in eating places. Back home it was just ‘champ’, but it was often a meal in itself, not just a side order. Indeed it became more a participatory sport than a meal in our household. Not bad for a humble plate of green-flecked mash…

Read more

Crispy Caper and Polenta Salad

/
Ok, let's get the humour about Northern Irish and Scottish people…

Homemade Alcoholic Ginger Beer

/
I have been mildly obsessed by ginger beer ever since I grew…

Slow Cooker Rabbit Stew

/
For ages, it was tradition for me to go and visit Mister North…

Dos and Doughnuts in the Kitchen

/
As I've mentioned in a few posts this summer, I haven't been…

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Float

/
I haven't been cooking very much this summer. Partly because…

Coffee Crème Caramel

/
I'm loving the bit in the Saturday Guardian Cook section where…

Pineapple Sorbet

/
Aside from friends and family, I think the thing I miss the…

Cherry Brown Butter Froise

/
A froise you say? I'm sure you make them all the time and the…

Homemade Mikado Biscuits

/
I have been on a bit of a biscuit roll recently (if you'll…

Watermelon Rind Pickles

/
I bet you didn't know you could pickle the green rinds from…

A Savoury Cream Tea

/
Confession time. I don't have any opinions on the cream tea at…

Green Goddess Dressing

/
Brixton market is fantastic all year round and the reason I am…