Irish potato pancakes: Make boxty for St. Patrick's Day or any day

Boxty, Irish potato pancakes, can be made any number of ways depending on the area of Ireland from which the recipe originates.

I first learned of boxty from Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Angela's Ashes," which chronicles his boyhood, and with that his mother's attempt to carry the family in the face of dire poverty and numerous heartbreaking challenges.

Although I have not yet been able to find the reference, I'm sure the book is also where I first read the rhyme "Boxty on the griddle, boxty in a pan, if you can't make boxty, sure you'll never get a man."

I came upon boxty more recently while searching the Irish website Odlums.ie for recipes that used the brand's cream flour. I discovered the flour locally at Marie O'Neill's, a Cranford shop that carries foods imported from Ireland and England. (The Eastman Street shop also doubles as Cheese... Please!).

I contacted Odlums, which produces several types of flour and baking mixes, and I was lucky enough to  get information about boxty from Catherine Leyden, chief baker at Odlums for 40 years. Leyden is also an Irish television personality whose expertise is frequently sought by those who want to know more about traditional Irish cooking.

According to Odlums, the word "boxty" is derived from the Gaelic words  arán bocht tí, which translate as "poor-house bread." I'm also told that Odlums cream flour, used in the featured boxty recipes, is the company's plain flour. "The name 'cream' is just a play on the colour, it actually doesn't taste creamy or have any cream in it,"  a company representative wrote.

Here are Leyden's responses to my questions: 

Q. Are there many regional variations of boxty?

A. Yes. Mainly Co. Donegal and Co. Leitrim, and they both make very different types using totally different recipes.

Q. Is boxty still considered a traditional food in Ireland? Is it still eaten frequently?

A. Very definitely. There are even some specialized boxty restaurants in Ireland. (The Boxty House is a special boxty restaurant in Temple Bar, Dublin.)

Q. Is boxty an everyday meal, or one linked with occasions?

A. It would be an everyday meal in Leitrim and Donegal, but around St. Patrick's Day, it would be a speciality in a lot of other parts of Ireland.

Q. Is it eaten as a breakfast food or more of a lunch or dinner item?

A. It's generally served as a snack or with dinner. (You could have with scrambled or poached eggs.)

In the featured video, Leyden demonstrates both Leitrim and Donegal boxty. The Leitrim boxty, made with leftover mashed potatoes and grated raw potatoes is served with smoked salmon and arugula for breakfast or brunch.  The video is quite helpful for making perfect boxty -- whether you're aiming to catch a man, or just make a delicious, easy and inexpensive meal.

The addition of baking powder in the Leitrim boxty makes it more like a traditional American pancake. In my testing with the assistance of the video, it rose beautifully and produced a thick, hearty pancake. If you prefer a thinner, less dense pancake, add a little more milk to thin the boxty batter. I also tested the recipe using plain American flour with fine results. And if you don't have leftover mashed potatoes, just boil or microwave a whole potato and mash it. 

Want to try boxty locally? Stage Left restaurant in New Brunswick will offer an Irish tasting menu  from March 11 to March 24.  

The recipes below are courtesy of Leyden by way of Odlums.ie where there are numerous other Irish recipes from Catherine's Kitchen, including a tasty-looking biscuit-topped Guinness stew and whole wheat Guinness scones with potato soup. You'll need to convert the measurements. I use the conversion tool at GourmetSleuth.com.

Leitrim boxty (Irish potato pancakes)

6Boxty in my pan. servings

1/2 cup grated raw potato

1/2 cup cold mashed potato

1/2 cup Odlums cream flour  (or all-purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 egg beaten

Oil and butter for frying

1. Place the raw potato into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all the excess liquid (starch).

2. Place potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Heat a little oil and butter in a pan. Pour mixture by 1/3 cups on the hot pan and fry until golden brown on each side. Serve hot. 

Nutrition information (Per pancake): 127 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated), 41mg cholesterol, 175 mg sodium, 17g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugars, 3g protein

For Donegal boxty: Place 1/2 cup Odlums cream flour (or all-purpose flour), 1/2 cup grated potato, 1/4 teaspoon salt and one beaten egg in a bowl and mix well. Heat a little oil and butter in a pan. Drop spoonfuls of mixture on hot pan and fry on each side until brown. Serve hot.

-- Recipes adapted from Odlums.ie