Traditional Boxty
Bacstaí·(bock-stee)
The Morning Fry & The Daily Bake
Forget the leprechaun kitsch and green beer; real Irish food is a masterclass in making humble ingredients sing. Boxty is the ultimate expression of the rural Irish kitchen—a frugal, brilliant marriage of raw and mashed potato that straddles the line between pancake and hash brown. The secret here isn't a fancy gadget or an imported cheese; it's the grandmotherly act of wringing the absolute life out of the raw spuds in a kitchen towel and harvesting the pure white starch left behind in the water. That native starch is the binder, the magic trick that delivers a crispy, golden crust giving way to a dense, tender crumb. It's poverty food elevated to pure comfort, unfussy and perfect for a busy weeknight.
Before you start
Grate and aggressively wring out the raw potatoes.
Shred the peeled potatoes on the large holes of a box grater, place them in the center of a clean, sturdy kitchen towel, and twist it over a bowl to extract every possible drop of liquid until the shreds are remarkably dry.
Recover the natural potato starch.
Set the wrung-out potatoes aside and let the extracted liquid sit undisturbed for 20 minutes so the pure, white starch settles at the bottom; carefully pour off and discard the brownish water, keeping the precious paste.
Ingredients
- leftover mashed Russet potatoes1 cup
- Russet potatoes1 cup
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- baking soda1 tsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- cultured buttermilk3/4 cup
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- canola oil1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Combine the potatoes, starch, and dry ingredients.
In the bowl with the reserved starch, thoroughly mix in the dry shredded potatoes, mashed potatoes, flour, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- 02
Hydrate the batter with buttermilk.
Slowly stir in the buttermilk until you achieve a thick, sticky consistency similar to heavy muffin batter, letting it rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
- 03
Fry the boxty slowly over medium heat.
Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet, melt the butter with the neutral oil to prevent burning, and drop heaping quarter-cup mounds of batter into the pan, flattening them slightly.
- 04
Crisp patiently until deeply golden brown.
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes undisturbed so the raw potato shreds cook through completely, then flip and fry for another 4 minutes on the other side before serving immediately.
Notes
Serve hot alongside a traditional fry-up or savory stew.
In Ireland, these are a versatile workhorse, perfect for mopping up gravy or simply eaten hot off the pan with a generous smear of good Kerrygold butter.
Do not substitute waxy potatoes.
American Russets perfectly replicate the starchy, low-moisture profile of traditional Irish floury potatoes like Kerr's Pinks; waxy varieties like Yukon Gold will turn gummy and ruin the texture.