Green Garlic “Champ”

Food from the UK has some of the noisiest names, and can be so, ummm, bland. Bangers and Mash. Bubble and Squeak. And Champ… When made right, this is not a bland dish. Although usually made with green onions, I have tweaked this traditional Irish recipe and used green garlic instead. It is a simple recipe that is all about the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:
Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches.

Salt the water liberally and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook potatoes until tender. Time will vary based on size of potatoes, but the tip of a thin sharp knife should easily penetrate a potato.

Once the potatoes are started, heat a 2 quart pot over medium heat. When hot, just film the bottom with oil and then add the green garlic. Cook just until the garlic is wilting and do not brown.

When garlic is translucent and soft, add the thyme and the milk.

Bring the milk just to a boil and then remove turn off or turn as low as you can to just keep the milk warm.

Season with pepper.

When the potatoes are done, drain them and return them to the pot.

Lower the heat to low. Season generously with salt, then mash the potatoes a bit. If the milk is not hot, warm it gently, and then pour it into the potatoes and mash. There should still be some small lumps.

Stir well to distribute the garlic and seasonings over low heat to get the potatoes hot. Add the butter and stir in to incorporate. Serve hot.

Chef’s Notes and Tips:
You can add the butter to the milk if you want, which will give a buttery flavor, but I think it will not be as silky as if you had added it at the end. You could also just dollop out the potatoes and add a pat of butter to each mound. If you want to do this in the traditional manner, with scallions instead, substitute green onions for green garlic, and don’t sauté them before adding directly to the milk.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen