Mixing the batter.
Growing up, my parents would always dye our milk green on St. Patrick’s day, and pour it into Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast. It was a fun way to start the day with a little St. Patrick’s themed celebration. If you’d like your own Irish themed way to start the day, try this Irish Boxty: a delicious potato pancake with a green themed twist.
An Irish boxty is a thick potato pancake made of mashed and grated raw potatoes. It’s similar to a combination of a potato scone and a hash brown/latke pancake. You can serve them for breakfast along side your eggs and bacon, and even use the leftovers to top a salad for lunch.
(This recipe has been adapted from Christina’s Cucina)
Ingredients:
2 cups (9 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (8 oz) mashed potatoes, boiled in salted water
1 1/2 cups (8 oz) grated, raw potato
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup (8 oz) buttermilk (or more if needed)
butter for the pan
Optional toppings: sour cream or cream cheese, extra green onion
Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set aside.
2. Using a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the grated raw potato, then add the flour and mix well.
3. Next, slowly add the buttermilk and stir gently (do not over mix). Then add in chopped green onion.
4. The mixture should be like a firm, thick batter; almost like a dough, so add more buttermilk if desired.
5. Heat a nonstick frying pan or cast iron pan over medium-high heat, and add a pat of butter, just before scooping out some of the boxy batter onto the pan.
6. You should be able to manipulate the thick batter, so flatten and shape into a nice, round pancake shape and fry until golden brown on the bottom.
7. Flip the boxty and continue to cook until golden brown on top. Turn the heat down if they’re browning too quickly (remember there’s raw potatoes which need to cook).
8. Continue to add a little butter and fry the boxty until all the batter is finished.
9. Serve the traditional Irish boxty hot. For St. Patrick’s day, we recommend topping with sour cream or cream cheese (dyed green with food dye of course), and garnishing with extra green onion.
Irish heritage or not, this is a delicious and fun way to start your morning. Hopefully it can become one of your family’s next traditions!
For more recepies, visit www.christinascucina.com.