Boxty
Irish potato pancakes built on a 50/50 mix of grated raw and mashed cooked potatoes - the raw gives a chewy, almost fritter-like body; the mash gives smoothness. Eats hot off the pan with butter, an egg, or rolled around a savoury filling.
Overview
Half the potatoes are boiled and mashed; the other half are grated raw and squeezed dry. Both fold together with flour, milk and an egg into a thick batter. Spoonfuls fry in butter until deep golden on both sides.
Ingredients
- 250 g floury potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 250 g floury potatoes (peeled, for grating)
- 100 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg (large)
- 100 ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 50 g unsalted butter (for frying; plus more to serve)
Method
Stage 1 - Mash half
- Boil the cubed potatoes in salted water 12-15 minutes until tender; drain; mash; cool slightly.
Stage 2 - Grate the other half
- Coarsely grate the remaining peeled potatoes.
- Pile the grated potato into a clean tea towel; twist hard over the sink to wring out as much liquid as possible - you want the grated potato dry-ish.
Stage 3 - Mix
- Combine the mash, grated potato, flour, baking powder, egg, milk, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Stir to a thick, lumpy batter - should hold its shape on a spoon.
- Rest 10 minutes (lets the flour hydrate).
Stage 4 - Fry
- Heat half the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat.
- Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the pan; flatten gently with the back of the spoon to 1 cm thick.
- Cook 4-5 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp; the inside should be cooked through (test with a knife).
- Cook in 2-3 batches; add more butter as needed.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Eat hot off the pan with butter, a fried egg, or smoked salmon for a more substantial meal.
Notes
- Wring the grated potato: Damp grated potato makes soggy boxty. The drier you can get it, the better the fritter texture.
- Floury potatoes: Waxy ones don't break down for the mash and don't bind the grated potato.
- Heat control: Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Medium heat; flip once they're properly golden.
Storage
- Best eaten hot. Leftovers refrigerate 2 days; re-fry in butter to restore the crisp.
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