Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
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Loading... - Helena Foster
- 27 May 2022
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If you love traditional Irish recipes, make sure you check out our recipes for boxty bread and colcannon.
About
You might be wondering what boxty is. Boxty pancake is a traditional Irish breakfast item that has stood the test of time. Basically, it is a potato pancake that is made from both mashed potatoes and grated potatoes. This pancake is cooked in fat on the griddle or in a cast iron skillet.
It is economical, and will fill you up if you're hungry, but the best part is the taste. We think it tastes similar to the filling of pierogi. If you like hash browns or traditional pancakes, you'll be a fan of boxty.
There is an old Irish nursery rhyme that goes, "Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan. If you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man." I like to think of it as the Irish's version of "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker's man, bake me a cake as fast as you can."
If there is any truth to that old saying, it must be quite a tasty dish if many Irishmen want to eat it.
Ingredients
Boxty is made from ingredients that most Irish people would have in their pantry or fridge. All the ingredients are low cost and easy to find at a grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
· Potatoes: Choose a floury, not waxy, variety; in the US, this would be a russet potato. Half the potatoes are boiled and mashed, which add bulk, and the other half are grated.
· Buttermilk: This tangy ingredient provides the creamy acidity and works well with potatoes. If you don't have any at home, you can make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and letting it rest for 10 minutes.
· Baking soda: This is the rising agent and reacts with the buttermilk to make them light and fluffy.
· Salt: This provides the right balance of flavor. In Ireland, they use less salt, but American palettes would prefer more.
How to Make
Not Pictured: Boil 3 potatoes in salted water with their skins on until fork tender. Cool 10 minutes and remove the skins then mash. Cover and cool in fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or use leftover mashed potatoes.
1. Coarsely grate 3 peeled raw potatoes into a clean kitchen towel.
2. Twist it over a bowl to wring out all the liquid from the potatoes.
3. Place the cooled mashed potatoes and the grated potatoes in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands, then add the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and bacon grease and mix again.
4. Add buttermilk until the batter reaches the consistency you want. Use 1 ½ cups for a thick batter, or more for a thin batter. Pictured below is a thick batter. Read More…
