Description
Classic Irish potato pancakes known as Boxty, featuring a blend of mashed and shredded russet potatoes mixed with scallions, flour, and buttermilk, pan-fried to golden perfection with crisp edges and tender centers. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and easily customizable with a variety of savory toppings.
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 (for table salt use half as much by volume)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Potatoes and Veggies
- 2 pounds (907 g) russet potatoes, divided
- 4 scallions (about 2 ounces; 56 g), thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
Wet Ingredients and Others
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 4 1/2 tablespoons (63 g) unsalted butter, divided
Optional Toppings
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Cooked bacon
- Fried eggs
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Rack: 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 pancakes warm later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and black pepper. Set aside for later use.
- Boil Potatoes: Peel 1 pound of potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place them in a medium saucepan with 1 teaspoon 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 until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool in the colander for about 10 minutes. Mash until smooth with no lumps.
- Grate Raw Potatoes: While the boiled potatoes cool, peel the remaining 1 pound potatoes. Using a box grater over a clean kitchen towel, shred the potatoes onto the towel. Gather the towel edges and carefully squeeze out excess liquid over the sink. Transfer the drained shredded potatoes to a large bowl with the mashed potatoes.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir the mashed and shredded potatoes together gently. Add sliced scallions and the beaten egg, then stir to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Using a spatula, fold in the buttermilk until the batter is thick and smooth with no dry flour streaks.
- Cook Pancakes: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until melted and bubbling. Drop 4 heaping 1/4-cup portions of batter into the skillet, flattening each into 4-inch wide, 1/2-inch thick pancakes. Cook undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip gently and cook the other side until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes more. Transfer cooked pancakes to the wire rack-lined baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat Cooking: Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter in 3 batches total, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons butter between each batch.
- Serve and Garnish: Just before serving, sprinkle the hot pancakes with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and additional scallions. Serve topped with your choice of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, or fried eggs.
Notes
- Use Russet potatoes for best texture and flavor in these Boxty potato pancakes.
- Removing excess liquid from shredded potatoes is crucial to achieving crispy edges.
- Keeping cooked pancakes warm in the oven prevents them from drying out before serving.
- Toppings can be customized to your preference for breakfast, lunch, or dinner variations.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 371 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 856 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
