andrejthechef
IrelandPancakesBreakfastVegetarian

Boxty with Eggs

Traditional Irish pan boxty: potato pancakes made from raw grated and mashed potato, flour and buttermilk, fried in butter and served with fried eggs for breakfast.

prep
30 min
cook
40 min
total
1 h 10 min
serves
4
level
medium
Three golden brown Irish boxty potato pancakes with a melting pat of butter, beside two fried eggs with bright orange yolks on a cream plate

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato cake, associated with the northwest of the country and the border counties. It is made from a mix of raw grated potato and mashed cooked potato, bound with a little flour and buttermilk and raised with baking soda. Pan boxty is cooked like a pancake in a skillet or on a griddle until deep golden, and it is a classic partner for fried eggs and rashers at breakfast.

Using both raw and cooked potato is what makes boxty: the grated raw potato gives chewy texture and crisp edges, and the mash makes the middle soft. The raw potato must be squeezed dry in a towel, and you should keep the starch that settles out of the liquid and stir it back in, because it binds the batter. Work quickly once the potato is grated, since it browns fast.

Boxty with Eggs is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

  1. Boil the 500 g potato chunks in well-salted water for 15 to 20 minutes until completely tender. Drain, return to the hot pot for 1 minute to steam off moisture, and mash smooth. Spread the mash on a plate to cool completely.

  2. Grate the 400 g raw potato on the fine side of a box grater into a clean kitchen towel. Wring it hard over a bowl to squeeze out all the liquid. Let the liquid stand for 5 minutes, pour off the water and scrape the starch at the bottom into the grated potato.

  3. In a large bowl, mix the cold mash, squeezed grated potato, flour, baking soda, salt and pepper. Stir in the melted butter, then add enough buttermilk to make a soft, thick batter that drops off a spoon. It should be thicker than pancake batter.

  4. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt about a tablespoon of butter. Spoon in about 1/3 cup of batter per boxty and spread it with the back of the spoon into a round about 10 cm (4 in) wide and 1 cm (1/2 in) thick. Cook 3 or 4 at a time.

  5. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden and speckled and firm to the touch. If they brown too fast, lower the heat so the middle cooks through. Keep warm in a 100°C (200°F) oven while you cook the rest, about 8 in all.

  6. Fry the eggs in butter in a separate skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set with crisp edges and the yolks are runny.

  7. Stack 2 boxty on each plate, top with a pat of butter so it melts down the sides, and serve with the fried eggs alongside.

chef's tips

  • The mash must be cold and dry, or the batter turns runny. Boil the potato the night before if you can.
  • Boxty batter darkens as it stands, so cook it soon after mixing.
  • Leftover boxty reheat well in a hot skillet or toaster oven. Many Irish households eat them cold with butter and jam the next day.
  • Use floury potatoes, not waxy ones. Waxy potatoes make a gummy pancake.