Michela Dai Zovi won our very first contest giveaway a couple of months ago, a prize package from our friends at Entomo Farms which included cricket powder.
She has taken her winnings and turned them into recipes to share. Last time she shared with us Cricket Pate.
Not only has she created these awesome recipes for you to try out, but she has also penned an introduction to each one…here’s today’s delight: Irish Colcannon with Cricket Powder! Thanks Mic!
Irish Colcannon with Cricket Powder
Serves 4
INTRO
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish, essentially potatoes mashed with butter and milk or cream, and then with cooking greens, such as cabbage or kale, blended in. Typically served alongside a hearty meat such as ham, sausage, or corned beef, and maybe a thick pint of dark beer, colcannon is the kind of dish you eat on a cold and rainy day, to warm your bones and lift your spirits. This recipe has just enough cricket powder to add some extra color and protein to the understated dish, but it won’t affect the taste. Colcannon is not meant to have strong flavor anyway—it’s all about the deep comfort of warm potatoes. In the colcannon pictured, I used cricket powder from Entomo Farms.
INGREDIENTS
5 medium potatoes
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups shredded cabbage, kale, or other hearty cooking greens (or a mix of several)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cricket powder
1 cup whole milk or cream
black pepper, to taste
1 scallion, thinly sliced (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash potatoes and peel, if desired, or leave skins on, for more texture and nutrients. Place potatoes in large pot with enough water to cover them completely. Add 1 tsp of salt, and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender and easy to cut, approximately 30-45 minutes. While potatoes are simmering, you can skip to next step and cook greens. When potatoes are tender, drain and return to pot for mashing.
2. In a large saucepan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add cabbage or other greens, a little bit at a time, and stir until each batch has wilted slightly, just enough to make room in the pan for more fresh greens. When you have added about half of the greens, add onions to the skillet. Continue adding greens, and sauté the greens and onions together until soft. Remove from heat.
3. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or a large fork. Heat milk or cream with remaining butter in small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Gradually add milk mixture to potatoes, along with cricket powder, while mashing. Add greens and mix until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Serve hot, garnished with scallions and an additional pat of butter, if desired.
Michela Dai Zovi is the driving force behind Bugs For Beginners, which is a forthcoming book for easing newbies into the fascinating, delicious, and nutritious, cuisine of edible insects. Visit her site:
