Champ

Champ is Irish mashed potato, beaten with milk and spring onions and served with a well of melted butter in the centre.

It is a side dish rather than a main course, and it is usually eaten beside sausages, bacon or a meat stew. It is easy to confuse with colcannon, the Irish potato dish that is folded with cooked kale or cabbage instead of spring onion.

What it really is

Potatoes are boiled, drained and mashed while still hot. Milk is warmed and beaten in, along with finely sliced spring onions, salt and pepper. The mash is piled onto a plate or into a bowl, and a hollow is pressed into the top to hold the melted butter, so each forkful can be dipped into it. The classic version contains no egg and no cheese.

How it's served

• Hot, in a bowl or piled on a plate, with melted butter in a well on top.
• Beside a main such as sausages, bacon or stew, as a side dish.
• Eaten with a fork or spoon, with the butter taken up in each mouthful.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the potato as the base: "Champ, Irish mashed potato with spring onion and milk."
• Flag milk as an allergen. Both the milk in the mash and the butter on top contain it.
• Say whether the butter is served in a well on top and whether it comes as an extra portion.
• Confirm that no meat stock or bacon fat goes into the mash. Made without them, champ suits vegetarians, which is worth stating on the menu.
• Give the portion size, since it is usually sold alongside a main.