Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
Local name: Bacstaí
In short: Pan-fried pancakes made from grated raw potato and mashed potato, bound with a little flour and buttermilk, crisp at the edges and soft inside. It takes about 1 h 5 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Boxty is a potato pancake associated with the northwest of Ireland, made with both grated raw potato and mashed potato. The raw potato gives a lacy, crisp edge, while the mash keeps the inside soft. A little flour and buttermilk bind it. Fried in butter, boxty is eaten at breakfast, as a side with stew or fried fish, or rolled around a filling.
Instructions
- Finely grate the raw potatoes into a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out the liquid over a bowl and let the liquid stand for 2 minutes so the white starch settles.
- Pour off the water from the bowl, keeping the starch at the bottom. Add the squeezed potato, the mashed potato, flour, baking soda and salt.
- Stir in the buttermilk to make a thick, spoonable batter. Add a spoonful more buttermilk if it is too stiff to drop from a spoon.
- Heat half the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Drop 1/4-cup (60 ml) mounds of batter into the pan and flatten each to about 1.5 cm (1/2 in) thick. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through.
- Keep the cooked boxties warm in a low oven while you fry the rest, adding more butter as needed. Serve hot.
Tips
- Squeeze the grated potato as dry as you can and put the starch back in the bowl. The starch helps bind the pancakes without extra egg.
- Make the pancakes thin and wrap them around fillings such as sautéed mushrooms or leeks in cream sauce, for a different way to serve boxty.
Questions and answers
What do you serve with boxty?
Butter and a sprinkle of sugar or salt for breakfast, or alongside fried eggs and tomatoes. It also goes well with vegetable stews and soups.
Can I make boxty ahead of time?
Yes. Cook and cool the pancakes, then reheat in a skillet or 190°C (375°F) oven for about 8 minutes to crisp them again.
Can I use only raw potato in boxty?
You can, but the pancakes will be denser and less soft. The mash is what keeps the center tender while the raw potato crisps the edges.
How long does it take to make Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)?
About 1 h 5 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)?
About 390 kcal per serving, with 9 g of protein, 62 g of carbohydrates and 12 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 390 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
