Champ

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Champ (brúitín in Irish) is a northern Irish dish, made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped spring onions with butter and milk, and optionally, salt and pepper. It is simple and inexpensive to produce. In some areas the dish is also called "poundies."

Champ is similar to another Irish dish, colcannon, which uses kale or cabbage in place of scallions.

The word champ has also been adopted into a popular northern Irish phrase, to be "as thick as champ", meaning to be stupid.

Ingredients

• 125 g (4oz) spring onions, chopped
• 300 ml (10fl oz) milk
• 6 to 8 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 75 g (3oz) butter
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped finely, reserving a few for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water, drain and mash (detailed recipe here).
2. In a separate pan, add the chopped spring onions to the milk and bring to a simmer then remove from the heat.
3. Mix the milk, spring onions, potatoes and chives if using, and shape into cakes or patties.
4. Serve with the butter melting on the top, sprinkled with chives if using.