Description
Boxty, traditional Irish potato pancakes, combine cold mashed and grated raw potatoes with a fluffy batter, fried to golden perfection. This recipe yields crispy, tender pancakes with a hint of buttermilk tang and optional flavorful add-ins like green onions or cheddar cheese. Ideal for breakfast or a comforting side dish, boxty offers a delicious taste of Ireland’s culinary heritage.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes (starchy variety such as russets)
- 2 cups grated raw potatoes (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
For Frying
- Butter, bacon grease, lard, or oil (for vegan option)
Optional Add-ins
- Chopped green onions/scallions
- Shredded white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Boil peeled potatoes until tender, drain, and mash them smoothly. Chill the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator until cold, at least 3 hours or overnight for best results.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Grate Potatoes: Grate raw potatoes using a fine grater. Place the grated potatoes on a clean cotton kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible to reduce moisture.
- Combine Batter: In a large mixing bowl, add cold mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, and the flour mixture. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick or dry, gradually add more buttermilk until it reaches a thick but scoopable consistency.
- Heat Fat: Warm butter, bacon grease, lard, or oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Fry Boxty Patties: Scoop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot pan, shaping them into flat patties by pressing gently. Fry until the bottom side is golden brown, then carefully flip and cook the other side until equally browned. Monitor the heat to prevent burning while ensuring the potatoes cook through.
- Keep Warm: Transfer cooked boxty to a warm oven to keep hot while frying remaining patties.
- Serve: Serve immediately while hot, optionally garnished with chopped green onions or shredded cheddar cheese for extra flavor.
Notes
- The traditional method involves wringing the liquid from grated potatoes into a bowl, allowing starch to settle for 30 minutes, then discarding the liquid and reincorporating the starch into the batter for extra crispiness.
- If skipping the starch settling step, reduce buttermilk slightly to avoid overly wet batter.
- Use starchy potatoes like russets for best texture and flavor.
- Adjust frying fat to dietary preferences or availability.
- Boxty can be kept warm in a low oven until all pancakes are cooked.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
