Boxty Irish Potato Pancakes

Boxties

 A boxty is version of a potato pancake. It is a traditional Northern Ireland dish. Boxty is from the Gaelic word bac-stai,  bac means shelf and stai means fire. They were originally grilled over and open fire.  It is also known as Arán bocht tí’  which means "poor house bread." They were the food of the Irish peasants.
What is interesting about a boxty is it is made from both mashed and grated raw potatoes.  This gives the potato pancake a thicker cake-like texture.
These are rich and I hate to say it but a bit bland for our family's taste. The solution? We served them with a spicy breakfast sausage. The boxty was a perfect compliment to the sausage.

There is a famous Irish rhyme:
Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, If you can't make boxty, you'll never get your man

The boxty on the griddle is a dough version of the boxty (the first recipe) and boxty in the pan is the batter version (the second recipe). The only difference between the two recipes is the amount of milk. The first recipe you have a bread like dough that is shaped. The second you have batter that is dropped into the pan. I preferred the second recipe. I thought it made a lighter boxty.

Boxty
8 oz. (225 g) Mashed Potatoes
8 oz. (225 g) Grated Potatoes
2 Cups (250 g) of Flour
1 Tsp of Baking Powder
1 Tsp of Salt
1/4 Tsp of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, Melted
1/2 Cup (120 ml) of Milk

Wring out the liquid from the grated potatoes and combine with the mashed potatoes. Shift the dry ingredients together and add to the potatoes.

Mashed and grated potatoes

Add the melted butter and stir. Slowly add the milk until you have a pliable dough.

It works just like bread

Knead lightly on a floured surface and divide into a flat cake.

Flatten pancake- I forgot to make the cross mark

Make a cross on the cake (like you do for soda bread) and fry the cake in a bit of bacon grease, sausage grease, butter, or oil. Turn the cakes when the edges start to turn golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough.

Fried boxty

Boxty II

8 oz. (225 g) Mashed Potatoes
8 oz. (225 g) Grated Potatoes
2 Cups (250 g) of Flour
1 Tsp of Baking Powder
1 Tsp of Salt
1/4 Tsp of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, Melted
1 Cup (240 ml) of Milk

Wring out the liquid from the grated potatoes and combine with the mashed potatoes. Shift the dry ingredients together and add to the potatoes. Add the melted butter and stir. Add the milk until you have a pancake batter like consistency.

Just like pancake batter

Drop the batter into a frying pan and fry the cakes in a bit of bacon grease, sausage grease, butter, or oil. Turn the cakes when they start to turn golden brown on the edges.

Boxties

 The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes, on a cold winter's day when we have a full day of skiing or sledding ahead of us, I will make this.