Irish Potato Cakes

There are a couple of version of potato cakes. Some are made from mashed potatoes, flour and butter. Others include grated fresh potato as well and are sometimes known as boxty, from the Irish "Bacstai‚" which refers to the traditional method of grilling over an open fire.

Boxty usually has the same quantities of flour, mashed potato and grated potato. I use a cup of each and the recipe makes eight good-sized potato cakes.

You can serve them with rashers of bacon and an egg or two. Add some pork sausage and grilled tomatoes and you have a pretty good Irish breakfast.

Irish Potato Cakes

1 cup mashed potato
1 cup grated potato (approx two medium to large potatoes)
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Seasoning
Oil and butter for frying

Grate the potatoes and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place in a bowl with the mashed potato (1). Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix all together well (2). Whisk the eggs with the milk and stir into the potato mix until well blended. Shape into eight rounds and flatten slightly.

Heat some oil and butter together in a pan and fry the potato cakes for about six minutes on each side (3, 4). If cooking in batches, place the cooked potato cakes in a preheated oven to keep warm.

If you want to jazz up your potato cakes you can add some grated cheese, or finely chopped spring onion (or both). Try serving with some hot-smoked salmon. Or you can use them instead of muffins for Eggs Benedict.