Boxty

About This Recipe

Boxty is a celebrated dish from the western and northern counties of Ireland, most closely associated with counties Leitrim, Cavan, Mayo, Sligo, Fermanagh, and Longford. The name is believed to derive from the Irish 'arán bocht tí', meaning 'poor-house bread'. A classic boxty uses both raw grated potato (for a slightly sticky, dense quality) and cooked mashed potato (for lightness), combined with flour, buttermilk, and egg. The old Irish rhyme 'Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man' speaks to how fundamental this dish was to domestic Irish life.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 250 graw potato, peeled and finely grated
• 250 gmashed potato (cooled)
• 150 gplain flour
• 1 largeegg, beaten
• 125 mlbuttermilk
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbspbutter or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the raw potato

   Grate the raw potatoes on a box grater. Place in a clean tea towel and wring out as much moisture as possible. This step is critical — excess moisture leads to soggy boxty.

2. 2

   Combine the potatoes

   In a large bowl, mix the wrung-out raw grated potato with the cooled mashed potato until well combined.

3. 3

   Make the batter

   Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and pepper. Add the beaten egg and buttermilk. Mix until a thick, slightly sticky batter forms. Rest for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Cook the boxty

   Heat a heavy frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Add butter or oil. Drop spoonfuls of batter (about 3 tbsp each) onto the pan and flatten slightly to about 1 cm thick, 8 cm wide.

5. 5

   Flip and finish

   Cook for 3–4 minutes until golden on the underside and the edges look set. Flip and cook for a further 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Variations

• •

  Boxty dumplings are made by shaping the mixture into balls and boiling them instead of frying.

• •

  Some recipes add finely chopped spring onion for a more pronounced flavour.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Cooked boxty keeps refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium heat. Freeze cooked boxty in a single layer then bag; reheat in a toaster or oven.

Frequently Asked Questions