Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
A staple Irish dish dating to the 1700's, boxty are potato pancakes made from a combination of grated and mashed potatoes that are fried until delightfully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes (can be made well in advance), use a starchy/mealy variety such as russets
- 2 cups grated raw potatoes , use a starchy/mealy variety such as russets
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk , plus more as needed
- Butter, bacon grease, or lard for frying (vegan: use oil)
- Optional add-ins: Chopped green onions/scallions, shredded white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Boil, drain, and mash the potatoes. Chill until cold or overnight.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.Grate the potatoes, place them on a cotton clean kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as you can (*see Note).Place the cold mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, and flour mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and combine the mixture. If the mixture is too thick/dry, add a little extra.Heat some butter, bacon grease, lard or oil in a heavy pan over medium-high. Scoop the potato mixture into the pan to form individual patties, pressing down on them to flatten them. Fry until the bottom is nicely browned and then flip them over and fry the other sides are likewise nicely browned. Be careful not to cook them too fast or they will become browned before the raw potato is cooked. Adjust the heat as needed.Transfer the boxty to a warm oven while you fry the remaining boxty. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
The traditional method involves wringing the potato water from the grated potatoes into a bowl, waiting about 30 minutes to allow the starch to settle at the bottom of the liquid, pouring off the liquid and saving the starch to mix back into the boxty batter (the starch acts as a binder and helps make the boxty crispier). Many Irish chefs still do this and others don't. You can decide which end result you prefer. If you skip this step you may need to cut back a little on the buttermilk.
Nutrition
Serving: 2boxtyCalories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 6gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 624mgPotassium: 407mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 75IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
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