Description
Deliciously crispy and tender Irish potato pancakes known as Boxty, combining both mashed and shredded potatoes with scallions, buttermilk, and a hint of baking soda. These traditional pan-fried pancakes are perfect for breakfast or as a hearty side dish and can be topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, or fried eggs.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (4 1/2 ounces; 127 g)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; use half as much for table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Potato and Mix-ins
- 2 pounds (907 g) russet potatoes, divided
- 4 scallions (about 2 ounces; 56 g), thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 large egg
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 4 1/2 tablespoons (63 g) unsalted butter, divided
Optional for Serving
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Cooked bacon
- Fried eggs
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare oven: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 200℉ (95℃). Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside to keep the cooked pancakes warm.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, baking soda, and black pepper. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Boil half the potatoes: Peel 1 pound of russet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a medium saucepan with 1 teaspoon of salt and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Drain and let cool in colander for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and mash thoroughly until smooth with no lumps.
- Grate and drain remaining potatoes: While boiled potatoes cool, peel remaining 1 pound potatoes. Shred them using a box grater set over a clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel edges and twist tightly to squeeze out excess liquid over the sink. Add the drained shredded potatoes to the bowl with the mashed potatoes.
- Combine all ingredients: Stir the potatoes together gently using a fork or fingers. Add the sliced scallions and egg, stirring to combine. Stir in the dry flour mixture until fully incorporated. Using a spatula, gently fold in the buttermilk until the batter is thick and pancake-like with no dry streaks of flour remaining.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until melted and bubbly. Dollop four heaping 1/4-cup portions of the potato batter into the skillet and flatten each into a 4-inch wide, 1/2-inch thick circle. Cook undisturbed until the bottom side is golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Flip carefully and cook the second side until also golden brown, another 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer cooked pancakes to the prepared wire rack-lined baking sheet and place in the warm oven. Repeat this step with remaining batter in batches of four, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons butter between each batch.
- Serve and garnish: Sprinkle the finished pancakes with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and some extra sliced scallions. Serve warm with optional toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, or fried eggs.
Notes
- You can substitute the freshly mashed potatoes by using 2 cups of cold leftover mashed potatoes. Add grated potatoes, egg, flour mixture, and scallions, then stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of buttermilk initially, adding more as needed to achieve a thick pancake batter consistency.
- Buttermilk can be replaced by mixing 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup plain yogurt as an alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake (about 1/5th of total recipe)
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
