Irish Potato Pancakes
Potatoes appear in all manner of Irish dishes and are served at just as many meals. This style of pancake, known as boxty, is made with mashed and grated potatoes. Typically served alongside black pudding or sausages for breakfast, boxty is a close cousin to rosti but with duelling textures that make for an interesting bite.
1kg roasting potatoes, eg red desiree or
yukon gold
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper 140ml buttermilk
1 large egg
40g plain flour
6-8 fat sausages
Spray oil and butter, for cooking
1 bunch kale, washed and sliced
Peel potatoes and dice half into small chunks. Place chunks in a pot and cover with water. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes or until tender.
Finely grate remaining potatoes and place in a strainer. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and leave to drain while the other potatoes cook. The potatoes will discolour but this won’t affect the final taste.
Drain cooked potatoes and mash with about a third of the buttermilk until smooth. Season with a little black pepper.
Add the drained grated potatoes along with the egg, remaining buttermilk and flour. Mix well to combine and season with a little more salt and pepper.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium to high heat with a good spray of cooking oil. Add sausages, prick with a fork and cook, turning often, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Using the same pan, heat a knob of butter and cook kale 4-5 minutes or until wilted. Season with a little salt and pepper and keep warm alongside the sausages.
Add another piece of butter and melt. Add 3 large spoonfuls of potato mixture to the pan to make 3 cakes and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side or until golden, then flip and cook on the other side for a few more minutes until the cakes are cooked through.
Keep warm under foil while cooking remaining potato mixture.
Serve boxty with the sausages and a side of wilted kale. Serves 3-4