Soda-breaded bacon chops with Irish honey, whiskey dip, and colcannon - A twist on a classic Irish favorite using ingredients we all know and love.

I made this dish a few years back for a party I was hosting at Soho House in New York to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. For me, it’s real comfort food, as I grew up in Ireland, and bacon chops with colcannon were a staple at home. You can use regular fresh white breadcrumbs if you don’t have soda bread.

Soda-breaded bacon chops and colcannon recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 small shallots, finely chopped
  • 200g fresh soda breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves
  • 70g plain flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 4 French-trimmed bacon chops on the bone
  • 50g butter
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the colcannon:

  • 1kg potatoes, unpeeled and washed
  • 100ml milk
  • 4 spring onions or 100g cabbage, finely chopped
  • 50g butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the Irish honey and whiskey dip:

  • 150g clear Irish honey
  • 100ml cider vinegar
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 100ml Irish whiskey

Method:

Begin preparing the colcannon. Place the whole potatoes in a large saucepan, with the largest ones at the bottom, and fill the pan halfway with water. Cover the pan with a lid and place over high heat. When the water begins to boil, drain off about half so that there is just enough left in the pan for the potatoes to steam. Leave to steam, covered, for 30–40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until soft.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Add the garlic, shallots, breadcrumbs, mustard and thyme leaves to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and process for 30 seconds. Transfer the mustard breadcrumb mixture to a bowl. Place the flour and beaten eggs in two separate bowls (or on plates). Dip each bacon chop in the flour, followed by the beaten egg, then turn in the mustard breadcrumb mixture to coat. 

Heat an ovenproof frying pan over high heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, place the breaded chops in the pan and brown on each side, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. 

While the potatoes finish cooking, pour the milk for the colcannon into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir in the spring onions or cabbage, butter, and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 4 minutes. 

Once the potatoes are cooked, hold them in a tea towel while you peel them and place in a warmed bowl. Mash the potatoes while you gradually add the warm milk and spring onion or cabbage mixture. 

To make the dip, whisk the honey, vinegar, and sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, and place over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning until the mixture begins to boil and thicken. Whisk in the mustard and whiskey and cook for a further minute, continuing to stir constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.

Spoon the colcannon around a large warmed platter, place the breaded bacon chops in the center, then pour the honey and whiskey dip over the chops.

* Recipes from Clodagh's Suppers. Published 2018 by Kyle Books.

*This article was originally published on our sister website, FOOD&WINE Ireland. Updated on IrishCentral in March 2023. 

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