Irish Pancakes or Boxty is a popular Irish dish made from potatoes and flour, then cooked on a griddle or in a skillet. Some recipes use only grated raw potatoes, others use mashed potato, but this recipe uses both!
An old Irish rhyme goes like this:
“Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan;
if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man”.
Who needs online dating, when all you need is Boxty?!
Ingredients
- Potatoes: good choice are russets.
- Flour: all purpose.
- Buttermilk.
- Baking soda.
- Salt.
- Butter: preferably salted and Irish / grass fed.
Instructions
Peel the potatoes. Cut half of the quantity into small chunks, to ensure quicker cooking.
Submerge them in water, add 1 tsp salt and boil for about 5-7 minutes until soft when pierced with a knife. Drain off the water and mash them using a hand held masher or a fork.
When the first half of the potatoes are boiling, grate the other half using a box or handheld grater.
Place the grated potatoes onto a clean cheesecloth or lint free drying cloth. Gather up the corners and sides and squeeze the starchy liquid out of the raw grated potatoes.
In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Toss the dry grated potatoes with the flour mixture to reduce browning. Add the mashed potatoes to the bowl.
Add the buttermilk to the bowl and mix everything together using a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not over mix.
Pre heat an electric flat top griddle to 350 degrees F. Add a knob of butter and when it melts, brush it over the surface to grease it.
Spoon some Irish Pancake batter onto the griddle surface.
Fill the griddle with Irish Pancakes. I was able to fit 8 on mine.
Fry one side of the pancake until golden brown (about 5 minutes) and then flip to allow the other side to cook.
Flexibility
Altering this recipe for Irish Pancakes (Boxty) in any way, takes a step away from the authenticity of the dish. It will also alter the nutritional value, calorie content, flavor profile, and appearance.
Russets are the best choice of potatoes for this recipe but use any type of potato. Also, this is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
If buttermilk is unavailable, then add 4 tsps of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to 20 fl oz of regular milk to create a soured milk. The presence of sour (acid filled) milk is needed to chemically react with the baking soda in order to produce carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the gas that causes the pancakes to rise.
Substitute all purpose flour with whole wheat or buck wheat flour.
Some people add flavoring ingredients such as chives, garlic powder, and parsley. These are great but not authentic.
Use oil instead of butter.
A food processor will grate the raw potatoes if preferred.
A skillet or large frying pan are good alternatives for cooking the Irish Pancakes if an electric griddle is unavailable.
Uses for Irish Pancakes (Boxty)
Boxty was traditionally was a poor man’s dish served as an evening meal, with a sprinkling of sugar and a knob of butter on top. They are a great alternative to traditionally made pancakes.
Nowadays these Irish Pancakes have been redeemed of their lowly status and appear on restaurant brunch menus and as a side dish to compliment meat and fish courses.
Make smaller sized pancakes, and place thin slices of meats, fish or vegetables on top or cream cheese and turn them into appetizers fit for a cocktail party!
More authentic Irish Recipes for you to try are Cottage Pie, Wheaten Bread, and Irish Apple Cake.
Storage
Store Irish Pancakes (Boxty)in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and freeze them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Place sheets of parchment or wax paper between each pancake. If batch cooking, place the amount you need for 1 meal (4 people x 2 pancakes = 8 pancakes,) in each ziplock bag, with the pancakes being separated from each other. Then defrost them overnight in the refrigerator.
Equipment
This electric griddle is much more sophisticated than mine. It comes with a warming drawer and a fully immersible cooking surface.
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A Tip From Me
Remember when grating raw potatoes, be sure to complete this process quickly. Uncooked potatoes oxidize (start to turn black) rapidly. Store bought potatoes have been stored in temperature and humidity controlled warehouses for up to 11 months before they are packaged and transported to supermarkets. I have found that these potatoes oxidize much faster than freshly harvested potatoes.
If your grated potatoes are left to oxidize, they start to turn a little pink. This is the beginning of the oxidation process. Using these grated oxidized potatoes will cause any leftover Irish Pancakes to be black or dark inside the following day.
Grate the potatoes onto the cheese cloth, squeeze out the excess liquid, then toss immediately into the flour to coat the surfaces of the potatoes.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- When is Boxty traditionally eaten? It was typically eaten at Halloween at about the same time as the end of the potato harvest. Nowadays Boxty is eaten year round, but favored more so during fall and winter. It can be eaten during any meal period.
- Can I use only mashed potatoes or only grated potatoes? Yes! My recipe used both because I find that using all grated potatoes increases the risk of oxidation and it gives the pancake more bite than I care for. Using only mashed potatoes gives Irish Pancakes a smooth center with no contrast. This recipe is a hybrid using cooked and raw potatoes.
- Are Irish Pancakes similar to hash browns? No, the only common ingredient is grated raw potato. Irish Pancakes resemble a standard pancake more.
- I’ve seen recipes for Irish Pancakes that include an egg in the ingredients, why does your recipe not? An egg can be added but it was not traditionally included and there is no need for it as the ingredients come together without the use of an egg. My advice is fry the egg and serve it on top!
Irish Pancakes (Boxty)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs potatoes 40 oz
- 15 oz flour all purpose
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 20 fl oz buttermilk
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes. Cut half of the quantity into small chunks, to ensure quicker cooking.
- Submerge them in water, add 1 tsp salt and boil for about 5-7 minutes until soft when pierced with a knife. Drain off the water and mash them using a hand held masher or a fork.
- When the first half of the potatoes are boiling, grate the other half using a box or handheld grater.
- Place the grated potatoes onto a clean cheesecloth or lint free drying cloth. Gather up the corners and sides and squeeze the starchy liquid out of the raw grated potatoes.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Toss the dry grated potatoes with the flour mixture to reduce browning of the potatoes. Add the mashed potatoes to the bowl.
- Add the buttermilk to the bowl and mix everything together using a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not over mix.
- Pre heat an electric flat top griddle to 350 degrees F. Add a knob of butter and when it melts, brush it over the surface to grease it.
- Spoon some Irish Pancake batter onto the griddle surface.
- Fill the griddle with Irish Pancakes. I was able to fit 8 on mine.
- Fry one side of the pancake until golden brown (about 5 minutes) and then flip to allow the other side to cook.
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