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| Boxty and Yogurt |
These are so good I had two last
night after I made them - one for breakfast, and then another while I was taking
these photos! Oh, and those ones you see in
the photo to your right? I’m eating them
right now as I type this.
So in honour of St. Patrick’s Day
this coming weekend, I’ve been looking at things green and Irish. A couple of days ago I posted about the easy blender green juice I like to drink, and the little ritual involved in it. I know, it’s not remotely Irish, but it is a
lovely emerald green colour. Today’s
recipe is much more Irish inspired. I’m
going to share a gluten free version of Boxty, an Irish potato pancake. There is even a poem (also with variations)
dedicated to boxty:
Boxty on the griddle
Boxty on the pan
If you can’t make boxty
You’ll never get a man
So there you have it. All of us who want a man must learn to make
boxty. Uhm…
Anyway, I hope that any Irish
folks out there won’t take offense to my alterations, but I found it a bit
plain all on its own, and very potato-y.
Boxty is really just mashed or grated potatoes, some milk and some flour
(although everyone seems to have a variation on that), then fried in butter or
oil. I wanted something with a bit more
nutrition and flavour, but maintain the concept of a cheap potato pancake.
Also, some people with OralAllergy Syndrome (like me) have problems with white potatoes. So, I used half sweet potatoes (also because
I got a 5lb bag for cheap at the farmer’s market this weekend) and half russet
potatoes instead of all russets. Sweet potatoes are healthier than regular
potatoes – they have Vitamin A and C, beta-carotene, iron, and all kinds of
other good antioxidants and minerals, but without the starch of regular
potatoes.
These make super cheap, gluten
free pancakes, and can be had any time of day, breakfast, lunch, tea time, or
for dinner. Jazz them up with sour cream
or yogurt (as I’ve done here), or syrup, whipped cream, jam, fruit, or even use
them as a cheap, gluten free sandwich bread.
A bag of potatoes is cheap, and if you boil or bake several at once, you
can use the rest for regular mashed potatoes, gnocchi, or shepherd’s pie. Alternatively, if you have leftover mashed
potatoes, use them to make this Irish boxty!
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| Boxty, Irish Potato Pancakes |
Ingredients: (Makes about 12
pancakes)
2 medium sized russet potatoes*
2 smallish – medium sweet
potatoes
(about 2 lbs potatoes total)
¾ c milk or milk substitute
¼ cornstarch*
½ c brown rice flour**
1 ½ tsp salt + extra for
sprinkling
¼ tsp pepper
1 egg or egg substitute
Flavourings as desired – I used ½
tsp garlic powder, ½ Tbsp rosemary and a pinch of dried parsley
* Can substitute potato starch,
or a gf flour if desired. I used
cornstarch because it’s cheap and it binds the pancake together well.
** I grind my own rice flour with my coffee grinder, it’s slightly grainier than store bought,
but in small amounts I don’t notice it at all, and it’s much cheaper than
buying rice flour.
Directions
1. Grate one potato, sprinkle with
salt, and place in a sieve over a bowl.
Periodically press on the grated potato to squeeze out excess starch and
water.*
2. Peel the remaining potatoes and
cut into large chunks. In a large pot, cover
and boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. With a fork, mash the potatoes with
¼ cup of the milk in a bowl until smooth.
Add in the grated potato.
4. Whisk together the remaining ½ c
milk with the egg, corn starch, flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Add to the potatoes and mix until smooth. Add any desired seasonings and blend again.
5. Heat a pan or griddle to medium –high
heat. Test this by dropping a drop of
water on the pan – if it dances across the pan it is ready. Add 1 Tbsp oil or butter to the pan. Scoop batter on pan in pancake-sized drops
(about ¼ c full)
6. Fry with a lid on for 4-5
minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom.
Flip, and fry 4-5 minutes uncovered on the opposite side.
7. Remove from heat and repeat. Serve warm with
toppings.
*Some people use all grated
potatoes while others use all mashed potatoes.
Since I was using sweet potatoes I felt they would be better mashed, but
wanted some grated for texture, and to lessen the starch. This is simply personal preference and if you
want to skip the extra step of grating the potatoes you can use all mashed
instead.
I readily confess I’m not very
familiar with Irish cuisine, but am experimenting with Irish foods for this week’s
theme. If you have a favorite Irish
dish, or an experience with boxty, I’d love to hear about it!
*OAS Info: Potatoes are a common OAS food. The boiling and cooking process here *should* kill the allergen proteins and make them safe to eat, but if in doubt use all sweet potatoes instead, or avoid altogether.
