Recipe Friday: Boxty

Boxty

Boxty, from the Irish word "bacstai" referring to the traditional method of grilling over an open fire, describes a potato pancake which is cooked and wrapped around a variety of delicious fillings. This method of cooking, traditionally from the Northwest of Ireland, is still used today.

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1 cup raw potato
1 cup mashed potato
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
large knob of butter, melted

chopped parsley
1/2 cup milk

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Grate the raw potatoes into a bowl. Turn out onto a cloth and wring, catching the liquid in a bowl. 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 and chopped parsley. 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.

To make the boxty extra special, cut each pancake into wedges. And drop into a deep fryer until golden brown.

Otherwise, you can treat it like a regular potato pancake or even a soft tortilla wrap.

Trust me, any way you make it, you will be more than happy!!

This is my favorite way to have boxty...
...served to me with cheese, and Guinness.