Equipment
Ingredients
Potato Base
- 300 g russet potatoes, peeled and left whole
- 300 g mashed potatoes, cooked, cooled, and unseasoned
Batter and Seasoning
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 60 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 g baking powder
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Frying
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml canola oil
Toppings
- 200 g smoked salmon, sliced
- 120 g sour cream
- 10 g chives, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 411 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 39 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1082 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 56 mg
- Potassium
- 791 mg
- Calcium
- 133 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 48 mg
- Phosphorus
- 279 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 160 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 8.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.22 mg
- Niacin
- 4.2 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 203 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Grate the raw russet potatoes using the coarse side of a box grater onto a clean kitchen towel.
Gather the corners of the kitchen towel and wring the grated potatoes over a sink or bowl to extract as much liquid as possible. The potato shreds should feel exceptionally dry. Let the extracted liquid sit for 5 minutes, then pour off the water, keeping the white potato starch at the bottom of the bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry grated potatoes, mashed potatoes, reserved potato starch, flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.
Pour the buttermilk into the potato mixture and stir until a thick, cohesive batter forms. It should drop heavily from a spoon.
Heat a non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the butter and half of the canola oil, allowing it to melt and begin to sizzle slightly at roughly 180C (350F).
Drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter into the hot pan, leaving space between each. Flatten them slightly with the back of a spatula to a thickness of about 1 centimeter. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden brown crust forms.
Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding the rest of the butter and oil as needed.
Transfer the warm boxty to serving plates. Drape a generous fold of smoked salmon over each pancake, dollop with sour cream, and scatter finely chopped chives on top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Using a 50/50 blend of starchy raw potatoes and cooked mashed potatoes is the secret to authentic boxty texture.
- Do not discard the potato starch that settles at the bottom of the squeezed potato liquid; adding it back to the batter provides excellent natural binding power.
- Frying in a mix of butter and neutral oil prevents the milk solids in the butter from burning while still delivering a rich, buttery flavor to the crust.
- Leftover mashed potatoes from the night before are ideal for this recipe, as they are drier and hold their shape better than freshly mashed warm potatoes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store boxty and toppings separately. Keep cooked boxty in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze cooked boxty pancakes separated by parchment paper. Do not freeze smoked salmon or sour cream.
Reheating: Reheat boxty in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or in a 200C oven for 8 minutes to retain crispness.
Troubleshooting
Boxty is gummy or raw in the center
Cause: Raw potatoes were not squeezed dry enough, or the batter was spread too thickly in the pan.
Fix: Transfer the undercooked boxty to a baking sheet and finish in a 180C oven for 5 to 8 minutes to cook the center.
Prevention: Wring grated potatoes vigorously in a clean towel until completely dry, and flatten pancakes to no more than 1 centimeter thick.
Pancakes fall apart when flipping
Cause: Flipped too early before a solid crust could form, or batter lacks sufficient binder.
Fix: Press back together in the pan and allow to cook undisturbed for an additional 2 minutes. Add 10g more flour to remaining batter if needed.
Prevention: Ensure the pan is fully preheated before adding batter, and wait for edges to brown completely before attempting to flip.
Cultural Context
Boxty, originating from the Irish word bacstai, is a traditional Irish potato pancake historically associated with the northern midlands of Ireland. It was born out of rural necessity, combining leftover mashed potatoes with grated raw potatoes to stretch the harvest and provide sustaining calories. Today, it serves as a beloved comfort food, beautifully elevated when paired with high-quality Irish smoked salmon and soured cream.
