Pan Boxty
By Annie PetitoPublished on March 16, 2022
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 10 to 12 pancakes)
Ingredients
Before You Begin
This recipe is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes rich in dairy will require less milk than leaner ones; the more milk added, the more batter-like the mixture will be, resulting in softer pancakes. Alternatively, for instructions for making mashed potatoes for this recipe, see “Pan Boxty: Best-of-Both-Worlds Potato Cakes.” here. We prefer shredding the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater, but you can also use the large shredding disk of a food processor: Cut the potatoes into 2-inch lengths first so that you are left with short shreds. Caraway seeds add hints of earthiness and citrus but can be omitted if preferred. Serve the pan boxty with fried eggs, smoked salmon, sour cream and chives, or premium salted butter.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Place mashed potatoes in medium bowl.
- Peel potatoes and grate on large holes of box grater. Place half of shredded potatoes in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly over sink to drain as much liquid as possible. Add shreds to bowl with mashed potatoes. Repeat with remaining shredded potatoes.
- Add flour; caraway seeds, if using; salt; and pepper to potatoes and mix, breaking up any large mashed potato lumps, until evenly combined. While stirring, add enough milk so mixture is moistened but thick and stiff enough to scoop (you may not need all of milk).
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Spoon batter into ¼-cup dry measuring cup and deposit onto skillet. Deposit 3 more portions onto skillet. Using back of measuring cup, press each portion into 3½-inch round. Increase heat to medium. Cover and cook until tops of pancakes are set and bottoms are deeply browned (color will not be uniform), 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent butter from burning.
- Carefully uncover (condensation may cause splattering); flip pancakes; and continue to cook, uncovered, until browned on second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer pancakes to prepared sheet and place in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining butter and potato mixture in 2 batches.
- Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately. (Pancakes can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days and reheated in dry skillet on stovetop or on rimmed baking sheet in 350-degree oven.)
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 10 to 12 pancakes)Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Pan boxty are densely creamy, buttery, griddled potato pancakes (made either as a single large cake or as several smaller ones) from northwestern Ireland made from a batter of grated and sometimes mashed potatoes plus flour and perhaps a bit of milk or water. Using a relatively high ratio (2 to 1) of potato shreds to mashed potatoes and minimizing the amount of flour in the batter allowed the spuds' earthy flavor to come through. The raw shreds must be thoroughly cooked, so we covered the skillet during cooking to trap steam that efficiently heated them through. For insurance against overheating the butter, we started it over a low flame and raised the heat to medium only once we added the batter, and we also wiped out the skillet and added fresh butter between batches. The pancakes' earthy, buttery flavor pairs well with almost anything: smoked fish, sausages, rashers, runny eggs, black pudding, corned beef, chicken curry—or just more butter.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
This recipe is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes rich in dairy will require less milk than leaner ones; the more milk added, the more batter-like the mixture will be, resulting in softer pancakes. Alternatively, for instructions for making mashed potatoes for this recipe, see “Pan Boxty: Best-of-Both-Worlds Potato Cakes.” here. We prefer shredding the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater, but you can also use the large shredding disk of a food processor: Cut the potatoes into 2-inch lengths first so that you are left with short shreds. Caraway seeds add hints of earthiness and citrus but can be omitted if preferred. Serve the pan boxty with fried eggs, smoked salmon, sour cream and chives, or premium salted butter.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Place mashed potatoes in medium bowl.
- Peel potatoes and grate on large holes of box grater. Place half of shredded potatoes in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly over sink to drain as much liquid as possible. Add shreds to bowl with mashed potatoes. Repeat with remaining shredded potatoes.
- Add flour; caraway seeds, if using; salt; and pepper to potatoes and mix, breaking up any large mashed potato lumps, until evenly combined. While stirring, add enough milk so mixture is moistened but thick and stiff enough to scoop (you may not need all of milk).
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Spoon batter into ¼-cup dry measuring cup and deposit onto skillet. Deposit 3 more portions onto skillet. Using back of measuring cup, press each portion into 3½-inch round. Increase heat to medium. Cover and cook until tops of pancakes are set and bottoms are deeply browned (color will not be uniform), 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent butter from burning.
- Carefully uncover (condensation may cause splattering); flip pancakes; and continue to cook, uncovered, until browned on second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer pancakes to prepared sheet and place in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining butter and potato mixture in 2 batches.
- Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately. (Pancakes can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days and reheated in dry skillet on stovetop or on rimmed baking sheet in 350-degree oven.)
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