It’s been awhile since I tried anything new from Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen. I made boxty pancakes before, but I decided to try making pan boxty today. Unlike the former, pan boxty only utilizes fresh grated potatoes. I didn’t have any mashed potatoes sitting around.
According to Allen, this dish came about in response to famine and poverty. By grating and then squeezing the moisture out of the potatoes, our Irish ancestors were able to use potentially rotten spuds that wouldn’t work in other dishes. Pan boxty is dense, crispy, and filling.
The traditional recipe she shared called for six “medium” potatoes. I think the recipe was for one boxty that could be quartered… but I was able to make three! It didn’t specify what size of cast iron pot one should use, so you have some wiggle room when it comes to portions! (Heck, in a recipe that calls for a “handful” of flour, you can play around…)
Despite its simplicity, boxty is not a quick meal. You have to grate the potatoes, squeeze the moisture out, and wait for the starch and water to separate. Each boxty cake takes about thirty minutes to cook, so if you make more than one with a small pan… be prepared to wait around a lot.
If you have the time and energy, making boxty is worth the effort! They are very delicious, especially with some ketchup (is my mutt American upbringing showing?). The effort they take will keep us from overindulging in these thick, buttery, crispy, potato treats, but I see myself making them whenever I have more potatoes than I know what to do with!
Author M. A. Phillips 