Description
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake made with a combination of cold mashed potatoes and grated raw potatoes. This recipe yields crispy, golden pancakes with a tender interior, perfect for breakfast or as a side dish. The boxty batter includes buttermilk for tang and tenderness, and the pancakes are fried to a perfect brown in butter or bacon grease.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes (use a starchy variety such as russets)
- 2 cups grated raw potatoes (use a starchy 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 (for vegan option: use oil)
Optional Add-Ins
- Chopped green onions/scallions
- Shredded white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Boil, drain, and mash the potatoes. Chill the mashed potatoes until cold or overnight to allow proper texture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Grate and Drain Potatoes: Grate the raw potatoes. Place the grated potatoes into a clean cotton kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible to prevent sogginess.
- Combine Batter: In a large mixing bowl, add the cold mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, and the flour mixture. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk and mix until combined. If the batter feels too thick or dry, gradually add more buttermilk to reach a scoopable consistency.
- Heat Fat and Fry: Heat butter, bacon grease, lard, or oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Use a scoop to form individual patties from the batter and press them down gently to flatten.
- Cook Boxty: Fry the patties until the bottom sides are nicely browned, then carefully flip them over to brown the other side. Cook slowly enough so the potatoes inside cook through without burning the outside. Adjust heat as necessary.
- Keep Warm: Transfer cooked boxty to a warm oven to keep hot while frying the remaining pancakes.
- Serve: Serve the boxty immediately while hot, optionally topping with chopped green onions or shredded cheese.
Notes
- For a crispier texture, save the liquid from the grated potatoes, let the starch settle for about 30 minutes, pour off the liquid, and add the settled starch back into the batter as a binder.
- If you skip the starch settling step, reduce the buttermilk slightly to prevent the batter from becoming too wet.
- Using starchy potatoes like russets helps achieve the ideal texture for boxty.
- Adjust frying heat to ensure thorough cooking without burning the pancakes.
- You can substitute frying fat with oil for a vegan version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
