I have been making boxty for a few years now with leftover mashed potatoes. Since our son-in-law is from Ireland I made it as a treat for him the first time I made them. Funny thing was he didn’t know what a boxty was. He said they were just potato pancakes where he grew up. After some checking I found out boxty was a regional name for them. They are very delicious potato pancakes but not the potato pancakes I grew up having.
Potato pancakes were simple things, just taking leftover mashed potatoes and making patties and frying them. Sometimes chopped green onions were added, but not often. I decided to kind of take part of a boxty and part of what I grew up with and make my own version. One great part of a boxty is the addition of raw grated potato to the mashed potatoes, think that what makes a boxty so great.
You need one very important piece of equipment to make potato pancakes or boxty. What works best is a really good non-stick frying pan. I just made one pancake and cut it in half before I flipped it, because I was lazy I guess. If you’re making more you can form them into patties and fry them. Individual ones are a lot easier to flip. You can make them in batches and keep them warm in a 200 oven. The mashed potatoes need to be very creamy and if they are to dry add a little half and half cream
1 cup leftover very creamy mashed potatoes
half and half cream if needed
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup grated raw potato
1/2 teaspoon butter
Mix mashed potatoes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and flour together very well. Mix in the green onions, and grated potato. Preheat a frying pan on medium heat with the butter. Add the potato mixture and press down to form a pancake. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 30 seconds, flip over and cook for and additional 30 seconds and serve
How I Cook — by Graham Stewart 