Boxty
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake made from both raw and mashed potatoes. The dish is mostly associated with the north midlands, north Connacht and southern Ulster, in particular the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Donegal (where it is know locally as Poundy or Poundies), Fermanagh, Longford, Leitrim and Cavan. There are many different recipes but all contain finely grated, raw potatoes and all are served fried.
The most popular version of the dish consists of finely grated, raw potato and mashed potato with flour, baking soda, buttermilk and sometimes egg. The grated potato may be strained to remove most of the starch and water but this is not necessary. The mixture is fried on a griddle pan for a few minutes on each side, similar to a normal pancake. Traditional alternatives include using only raw potatoes, boiling it as a dumpling or baking it as a loaf. The most noticeable difference between boxty and other fried potato dishes is its smooth, fine grained consistency. Boxty is most often served as a griddle bread with bacon and eggs for a special breakfast treat.
Mashed potatoes can different levels of moisture in them, To compensate, add the milk or buttermilk in increments rather than all at once, stopping once the mixture resembles a thick, slightly chunky pancake batter. If you were to add the full cup of milk called for in the recipe all at once, the batter might end up too loose, and you’ll have to add more flour, which turns into a guessing game you don’t want.
There is an old Irish phrase that says: "Boxty on the griddle, Boxty in the pan, If you can't make boxty, You'll never get a man."
Boxty
From the Appletree Press title: A Little Irish Cookbook by John Murphy & Illustrated by Karen Bailey, 1986
Boxty is a traditional potato dish, celebrated in the rhyme:
Boxty on the griddle,
boxty in the pan,
If you can't make boxty,
you'll never get your man
8 oz/ 250 g/ 1 cup raw potato
8 oz/ 250 g/ 1 cup mashed potato
8 oz/ 250 g/ 2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
large knob of butter, melted
about 1/4 pt/ 125 ml/ 1/2 cup milk
Grate the raw potatoes into a bowl. Turn out onto a cloth and wring, catching the liquid. This will separate into a clear fluid with starch at the bottom. Pour off the fluid and scrape out the starch and mix with the grated and mashed potatoes. Sieve the dry ingredients and mix in along with the melted butter. Add a little milk if necessary to make a pliable dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface. Divide into four and form large, flat cakes. Mark each into quarters but do not cut right through, and bake on a griddle or in a heavy pan.
If liked, more milk and an egg can be added to make a batter which can be fried in bacon fat like drop scones.
Boxty
from https://www.seriouseats.com/
My family loves boxty with a dollop of sour cream and a good amount of sliced scallions scattered over top. They’re perfect as a light lunch or dinner on their own—or serve them with fried eggs, crispy bacon, sausage, and some beans for a filling Irish-style breakfast.
You can make this recipe using leftover mashed potatoes instead of making fresh mashed potatoes. If using leftover mashed potatoes, start with 2 cups of cold leftover mashed potatoes. Mix in freshly grated potatoes, egg, flour mixture, and scallions. Stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk to start, and if needed, slowly add more in small increments, until mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.
The buttermilk can be replaced with 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup plain yogurt.
1 cup all-purpose flour (4 1/2 ounces; 127 g)
2 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt use half as much by volume
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (907 g) russet potatoes (see notes), divided
4 scallions (about 2 ounces; 56 g), thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (see notes)
4 1/2 tablespoons (63 g) unsalted butter, divided
For Serving (Optional):
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cooked bacon
Fried eggs
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 200℉ (95℃); line a baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, 1 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and black pepper; set aside.
Peel 1 pound potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough cold water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and let sit in colander in sink or over a bowl until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth and no lumps remain.
While the boiled potatoes are cooling, peel remaining 1 pound potatoes. Center a box grater over a clean kitchen towel and shred potatoes onto kitchen towel. Gather towel edges together and carefully ring out liquid from potatoes over a sink. Then transfer shredded potatoes to large mixing bowl with mashed potatoes. Using a fork or your fingers, stir until just combined. Add scallions and egg and stir to combine, then stir in flour mixture until combined. Using a spatula, add buttermilk and gently stir until mixture resembles a thick, pancake-like batter and no dry flour streaks remain.
In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) butter over medium heat until melted and bubbling. Dollop 4 heaping 1/4-cup portions of prepared potato batter into skillet and flatten into 4-inch wide and 1/2-inch thick circles. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on bottom side, 4 to 6 minutes. Gently flip and cook until golden brown on second side, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to prepared wire rack–lined baking sheet, then place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, making 4 pancakes at a time for a total of 3 batches, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in between each batch.
When ready to serve, sprinkle hot potato pancakes with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and sprinkle with additional scallions for garnish. Serve with your preferred toppings, such as sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, or fried eggs.
Serves 4 to 6
