Dating back to Ireland's Great Hunger boxty this traditional Irish recipe can be easily jazzed up or enjoyed in the plain old griddled style. Traditional Irish potato cakes, or boxty, are mostly associated with the north midlands of Ireland in Connacht and Ulster. The people of Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Longford, Leitrim, and Cavan are particularly big fans of this delicious and simple style of potatoes.
It is thought that boxty dates back to the days of the Irish Famine , presumably to make the potatoes stretch further. There are a couple of different recipes, but all contain finely grated, raw potatoes served fried. There are some variations on the classic recipe, such as boiling the patty like a dumpling or baking it like a loaf.
With the demands of the modern palate being more diverse, some people add spices or vegetables into the mix. However, the plain old griddled style is the original and is wonderfully tasty. Over the last couple of years, as the Irish have become more interested in their own cuisine, the popularity of boxty has risen.
It's now quite normal to see boxty on a menu in a restaurant in Ireland, whereas a decade ago it would have still been considered a 'peasant dish.' However, boxty has always been popular as part of Irish home cooking. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! As one traditional (if woefully out-dated) rhyme explains: Boxty on the griddle, Boxty in the pan, If you can't make boxty, You'll neve.
