Description
Traditional Irish potato pancakes known as Boxty made with a mix of cold mashed potatoes and grated raw potatoes, combined with flour, buttermilk, and simple seasonings. These crispy, flavorful pancakes are pan-fried until golden brown and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a hearty snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes (starchy variety such as russets)
- 2 cups grated raw potatoes (starchy variety such as russets)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients & Frying Fat
- 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 first. Chill the mashed potatoes until cold, ideally for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later mixing.
- Drain Grated Potatoes: Grate the raw potatoes, place them on a clean cotton kitchen towel, and wring out as much liquid as possible to prevent sogginess.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cold mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, and the flour mixture. Pour in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and mix thoroughly. If the batter feels too thick or dry, add a little more buttermilk to achieve a scoopable consistency.
- Heat Pan and Fry: Heat butter, bacon grease, lard, or oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Scoop portions of the potato mixture into the pan, flattening each to form pancakes.
- Cook Until Golden: Fry the pancakes until the bottoms are nicely browned, then flip and fry until the other sides are golden as well. Adjust the heat as necessary to avoid burning the outsides before the potatoes cook through.
- Keep Warm: Transfer the cooked boxty to a warm oven while frying the remaining pancakes to keep them hot and crisp.
- Serve Hot: Serve immediately while hot for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Traditional method involves wringing out the potato water and letting the starch settle before adding it back to the batter for extra crispness.
- If skipping the starch separation step, consider reducing buttermilk slightly to avoid excess moisture.
- You can add chopped green onions or shredded cheddar cheese to customize the flavor.
- Use starchy potatoes such as russets for best texture and binding.
- Adjust frying fat according to dietary preferences (butter, bacon grease, lard, or oil).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake (approximately 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
