Can’t decide between a crispy
latke and a pile of creamy mashed potatoes? Make boxty. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the center, these Irish potato pancakes give you the best of both iconic potato dishes in a single bite. It’s easy to make boxty that are just okay, but there are a few important tips to keep in mind if you want yours to be exceptional. Follow these hints and you’ll be cranking out crispy-edged potato pancakes with fluffy centers in no time.
What is boxty?
Boxty originated in Ireland in the 1700s. Made with a mix of cooked mashed potato, raw shredded potato, flour, and buttermilk, it was created in an economical effort to stretch the potato harvest, which the Irish depended on for sustenance throughout the year. Although it’s not quite the mealtime staple it used to be, boxty is still a favorite in Ireland today.
How to make the best boxty:
— Use pure mashed potatoes. This is not a time to use last Sunday’s leftover mashed potatoes that are already diluted with butter and cream. You can boil and mash the potatoes a day in advance or prep them the day you want to make the boxty; just be sure to let them cool completely before using in the batter. When it comes to the mashing technique, while you can certainly use a potato masher, pushing the potatoes through a fine-mesh kitchen sieve yields the lightest texture in the finished boxty.
— Wait to grate. It might be tempting to prep ahead, but don’t shred the raw potatoes until you’re ready to mix the batter and fry the boxty. The raw potatoes will pretty quickly oxidize after they’re grated, turning this gross reddish-brown color—not at all appetizing.
— Don’t overmix the batter. Once you combine the mashed potato, raw potato, and flour with the buttermilk, mix JUST until the pockets of flour disappear, and NO MORE. Overmixing results in batter that’s like concrete and boxty that’s equally dense.
— Manage the heat. This one’s a little tricky: You want those crispy-brown edges, but you don’t want the boxty to burn before the center cooks through. For best results, preheat the skillet over medium-high heat. After adding the batter (it should sizzle when it hits the pan!), reduce the heat to medium and turn on a timer. These boxty should take 3 to 4 minutes on each side to cook through. If they look like they’re getting super-brown and they’ve only been in for 2 minutes, reduce the heat even more.
Serving ideas for boxty:
Sitting down with a plate of crispy, golden-brown boxty and wondering what to serve them with? The short answer is anything you want. Many Irish eat them with eggs and sausage for breakfast, but you can also serve them topped with applesauce, like a latke, or ketchup like a hash brown. My personal favorite is a dollop of sour cream and a confetti of chopped scallions.
Made these? Let us know in the comments below.