Revamp the Champ

 

There once was a boxing champ
Whose attire was outdatedly damp
His shorts were once chic
But now they’re antique
So they needed a little revamp

Classic Irish Champ is one of the most timeless Irish dishes.  Spring or green onions are mixed into creamy mashed potatoes and served piping hot with a knob of butter that melts in the middle to create a golden well of buttery goodness.

The trick is to eat with a fork starting on the outside and dipping each bite of potato into the golden well of melted butter.

Champ may be timeless but even the classics need an update once in a while. So try these revamped champs with a side of sausage and mustard with a tall beer this Patty’s Day. You gotta stick and move, work around the outside of the ring and get ready for that knock-out buttery finish.

 

CLASSIC CHAMP

INGREDIENTS

2 large russet potatoes

1 cup milk

½ cup heavy cream

2 Tsp table salt (or more to taste)

4 pats of butter (2 Tbsp each)

3 Green or 1 Spring Onion, thinly sliced

PROCEDURE

Peel and cut your potatoes into 8. Place all the potatoes in a large pot full of cold water. Get the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and just beginning to fray at the edges. Drain the potatoes and let them blow off some steam in the colander for 10 minutes.

Back in the pot warm up the milk and salt on the residual heat from the stove, or just on low if you are using a gas burner.

Now dump the potatoes in the warm milk and mash until as smooth as you can manage without feeling like you went 5 rounds with the champ.

Here’s the trick to making the champ. Stir in the sliced green onions. Serve it on four plates and while it is still piping hot make a well in the middle of the mound of potatoes and plop in your pat of butter so it starts to melt. 

Serves four

REVAMPED CHAMP VARIATIONS

Bacon, Leek and Kilkenny

4 slices of bacon, thinly sliced

2 large leeks, thinly sliced

a glug of vegetable oil

2 cups Kilkenny Irish cream ale 

Make a round of Champ as directed above but omit the green onions.

Get a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Place thinly sliced bacon and thinly sliced leeks into the pan with a glug of oil and a pinch of salt. Don’t fiddle with them much, just let them develop some colour. When they start to brown really good after about 15 minutes you can go ahead and toss in the beer and let it all cook down until it is slightly syrupy.

Mix into the mashed potatoes or serve on top. Pile the potatoes on a plate and make a well for the butter.

Onion and Guinness

1 yellow onion, fine diced

a glug of vegetable oil

1 cup Guinness stout beer

knob of butter

splash of vinegar (malt or balsamic) 

Make a round of Champ as directed above but omit the green onions.

Get a pan on medium heat. Sweat diced onions with a glug of oil and a pinch of salt until soft and translucent. Add the Guinness straight in with a little knob of butter and continue cooking over medium until most of the liquid evaporates and the onions look gorgeous and dark. Add a splash of malt or balsamic vinegar to brighten everything up a little.

Mix into the mashed potatoes or serve sprinkled on top. Pile the potatoes on a plate and make a well for the butter.

 

Ham and peas

½ white onion, diced

6 slices thick cut ham, diced

glug of oil

pinch of salt

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup frozen peas

fresh cracked pepper 

Make a round of Champ as directed above but omit the green onions.

Dice the ham and onion into peas-sized bits. Place them in a frying pan over medium low heat with a glug of oil and a pinch of salt. Cook until ham is heated through and the onions are translucent. Add cream and reduce for 5 minutes. Add peas and heat through for 5 more minutes. Mix into the mashed potatoes or serve on top. Pile the potatoes on a plate and make a well for the butter.

Mustard, cheese and celery

¼ cup grainy mustard

1 celery heart, finely sliced

1 cup grated white Irish cheddar (Kerrygold) 

Make a round of Champ as directed above but omit the green onions.

As soon as the potatoes are mashed, toss in all of this stuff and mix it all in until it’s smooth. Pile it on a plate and make a well for the butter.