A quick, hearty and delicious meal: Boxty! Leading the revival of the Irish potato pancake is the charming Irish Potato Cake Company, who have generously provided a recipe for you to try make your own boxty at home!
What is ‘boxty’?
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake, integral to Irish cuisine and especially associated with the northern counties of Ireland. The name “boxty” derives from the Irish word “bacstaí,” which means “poor-house bread.” While potatoes are now synonymous with Ireland, this wasn’t always the case.
Introduced from South America to Europe in the 16th century, potatoes quickly became a staple in Ireland, particularly for the poor. By the early 19th century, the average adult Irishman consumed about 6kg of potatoes daily. Their ability to grow in various soil types made potatoes an accessible and essential crop, contributing to many of Ireland’s iconic dishes.
The Revival by the Irish Potato Cake Company
Leading the charge to serve traditional Irish fare like the potato cake is the charming Irish Potato Cake Company on Bachelors Walk, Dublin. Boxty is a potato pancake made from grated potato, flour, baking soda, and buttermilk. The name likely comes from the Irish “arán bocht tí,” meaning “poor-house bread,” or possibly from “bácús,” meaning bakehouse. Traditionally, boxty consists of 70% potato and 30% other ingredients, mixed and fried like a regular pancake. This method gives boxty a unique texture, somewhere between a pancake and a hash brown, with its closest equivalent being the Swiss rösti. While it can also be boiled like a dumpling or baked as a loaf, the fried version is the most common.
As interest in Irish cuisine grows, modern variations of boxty have emerged, featuring spices, beef fillings, or even being used as a tortilla in wraps.
The Recipe
Here is a recipe shared with us from the Irish Potato Cake Company on making your own Bacon & Cheese Potato Cakes:
Ingredients:
Rooster Potatoes
Egg
White Cheddar Cheese
Bacon
Parsley
Chives
Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
Partially peel Rooster potatoes (it’s okay to leave some skin on)
Slice potatoes into quarters
Cook in boiling water until half-cooked
Roughly mash potatoes and allow to cool
Add egg
Add salt & pepper
Add white cheddar cheese
Add chopped bacon
Add parsley & chives
Mix well
Make the mixture into potato patties.
Cover with Panko.
Fry on a hot pan for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Serve 3 potato cakes per portion with a salad garnish and Ballymaloe relish.
Enjoy!
