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Traditional Irish Boxty Potato Pancake

Pancakes make for a great breakfast but if you want pure savoury then you need these traditional Irish potato boxty!

Stacked Irish Boxty pancakes with a perfectly poached eggwith a dripping golden egg yolk

Irish Potato Pancakes.

This Boxty recipe has been with me as long as any other recipe that I cook. It predates all the fancy pants stuff that I do and even the curries.

I was introduced to them by an Irish guy in my student days as the worlds finest hangover cure.

A claim that we stress-tested vigorously and could find no evidence to the contrary!

Traditionally made from mashed potato and grated potato they have a fantastic texture.

Cooking them in buerre noisette or browned butter gives them a wonderfully nutty texture.

Stacked potato boxty with a steaming perfectly oval poached egg against a dark backdrop,

Hints and Tips

You need to start this recipe with the right potatoes.

Both the mashed potato and the grated potato in this recipe need floury potatoes. A variety like Maris Piper, King Edwards or Russet.

It is also vitally important that the mash is completely cooled to room temperature before you start. Although leftover mash from the day before is best!

A good boxty recipe needs a bit of flexibility, the moisture levels in the potato define how much milk you need to add.

When grating the potatoes, they will begin to leach liquid, you need to throw out the liquid but you need not squeeze out the liquid as you would with a potato rosti.

The amount of dairy in your mashed potatoes will also define how much milk to add.

When you add the milk you are looking for a texture that will drop from a spoon in a single “lump” but one that is still a little liquid.

A perfectly poached egg with a dripping yolk sat on a stack of Irish boxty on a grey plate served with mushrooms

Serving Suggestions.

I’m not usually one for faffing around at breakfast time any more.

So these are a rare indulgent treat and join welsh rarebit as being something that I treat us to on special occasions.

Boxty are often served as part of a full Irish breakfast, featuring bacon, sausages, mushrooms, eggs, tomatoes or beans and black or white pudding.

I prefer mine a little more simple and would rather have a perfectly poached egg and some sauteed mushrooms with them.

The pancakes are the perfect way to mop up the yolk which is the perfect sauce.

Another great addition would be a chutney like my red cabbage chutney!

Boxty are an Irish potato pancake a super indulgent breakfast and if required an outstanding hangover cure!
Yield: 2 Servings

Irish Boxty Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

My introduction to these Irish Boxty pancakes came during my student days and they remain my favourite hangover remedy to this very day!

Ingredients

  • 65 g (1/2 Cup) Plain Flour
  • 130 g (1/3-1/2 Cup) Leftover Mashed Potato
  • 85 g (1/4 Cup) Potato
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Coarse Sea Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • 60 ml (1/4 Cup) Milk
  • 50 g (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Butter

Instructions

  1. Grate the potato and add it to a bowl.
  2. Throw in the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the milk and butter.
  3. Slowly add in the milk until a spoonable batter is formed.
  4. Add the butter to a pan over a medium heat.
  5. Cook the butter until it begins to brown which should take 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add a heaped tablespoon of batter to the pan and flatten to form the pancakes.
  7. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook the second side for 2-3 minutes.

Notes

I like to serve it with a poached egg and some mushrooms, but go to town add bacon and baked beans too if you wish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 1180mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 13g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Veena Azmanov

Wednesday 24th of January 2018

Oh I have not see good Boxty potato pancakes in years. Use to eat them on ever trip I went to London... Never made them myself, Saving this to try soon. Your images are gorgeous.

Brian Jones

Thursday 25th of January 2018

Thanks Veena.

Chris

Wednesday 24th of January 2018

Your photography is always so stunning, but this is something else! Just wow! I'm literally drooling over that yolk.

Brian Jones

Thursday 25th of January 2018

Thanks Chris :)

Cliona

Wednesday 24th of January 2018

Oh wow! I've never made these before but I've heard that they're amazing so I'll have to give your recipe a go!

Brian Jones

Thursday 25th of January 2018

Enjoy, I love em.

Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

Wednesday 24th of January 2018

Ah you can't beat a Boxty pancake - it makes for such a delicious breakfast dish! Your pancakes with the egg dripping down sure do have my mouth watering

Helen of Fuss Free Flavours

Wednesday 24th of January 2018

I think student days were a time of creating great food, without even realising we were doing it. Some of the concoctions that were made up on the spot were something that should never have been tasty, but somehow they were.

Your more grown up version looks utterly delicious, and the perfect kind of breakfast for those mornings when you just need it, like you say, the morning after the night before.

Brian Jones

Thursday 25th of January 2018

Grown up, now that's something I don't get associated with very often ;) I'm pretty sure my student days are now completely fogged by time and booze, although mainly booze. Thanks for your kind comments :)

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