St Patrick’s Day yesterday and we did him proud. Mr Guinness’s Cake for tea and then off to the pub for a Guinness and back home, as the snow was falling, for colcannon – one of my very favourite dishes.

This classic kale dish, delicious served with baked ham, is the bubble and squeak of Ireland.

The potatoes and leeks can be cooked in advance making it a meal that can be ready in minutes. We had ours with lamb chops dusted with sumac.

500g potatoes, peeled
200g leeks, sliced
300g kale, stalks removed, then chopped
Butter
Milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes until soft. Mash them carefully making sure no
lumps remain and add butter and milk to make a light mashed potato. Season well.

Fry the leeks gently in butter until soft and steam the kale for a few minutes until cooked.

Keep all three elements warm and combine them together in a dish before serving.

Colcannon also works well using crumbly new potatoes. Omit the milk but use plenty of butter.