Boxty - Irish Potato Pancakes

I think every cuisine ... Irish, German, French... to name a few... has a potato pancake... and I'm determined to work my way through them all.. they're all good.. really good.

Boxty is the Irish version of a potato pancake... served as is.. or with a dollop of sour cream.. and also sometimes served as a wrap (like a fajita).. we went to an Irish pub not long ago and my son had his stuffed with a Guinness Beef Stew... of course we all sat there fork in hand to try it.. it was wonderful!

Delicious and easy to make... I hope you try it.

Trivia

There are several variations of this folk rhyme about Boxty...

"Boxty on the griddle, Boxty on the pan, if you can't make Boxty, you'll never get a man".

TIPS

I used my food processor to grate the potatoes... a lot faster and easier than using a boxed grater... but it tends to shred the potatoes instead of actually grating them.. the traditional method is grating... it's up to you what method you want to use... they all taste wonderful.

The milk used in the recipe can either be whole, low fat or fat free.

You can seriously cut down the time and work by using leftover mashed potatoes... otherwise.. if you don't have leftovers.. just peel and cut 2 large potatoes into large dice .. cover with salted water and boil until soft.. about 10 minutes... drain and mash with a bit of butter and milk... they don't need to be perfect... salt and pepper to taste.

I used Yukon Gold potatoes... I like the texture ... you can substitute any variety you prefer.

After grating them.. place them on a paper towel in a strainer.. to drain off any water that will drain out of the potatoes...I let them sit on paper towels for about 20 minutes or so.

A lot of cooks fry these in oil... I have a really good non-stick pan .. so I just spray it with olive oil cooking spray and "fry" them that way.. a lot less fat.. and not greasy .. I like it that way much better.

Save any leftovers (if you have them).. leftovers are good too.. just a quick nuke in the oven and they're good!

I made mine relatively thick... I used a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup to scoop out the batter to make them.. I didn't quite fill the cup up... makes an average sized pancake.

Having a party?... make these much smaller... a tiny dollop of sour cream.. they will be a hit.. guaranteed!

Recipe:  Boxty - Irish Potato Pancakes

All you need:

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and grated *See TIPS

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 cup flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

2-3 tablespoons milk

A sprinkling of salt and pepper

Olive oil cooking spray

Sour cream for garnish

All you need to do:

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl.

Spray a non-stick skillet with olive oil cooking spray and hit it over medium high heat.

Scoop the batter onto the hot skillet .. making the size pancakes you prefer... don't make them too thick.. about the thickness of a good regular pancake.

When the bottom is golden brown.. flip them.  When both sides are golden brown... remove them from the skillet and serve them.

If you're making these for a party snack... you can make them ahead... store them in a container in the fridge... when you want to serve them.. place them on a baking sheet and hit them until hot in a 325 degree oven.