Boxty on the griddle

Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, if you can't make a boxty, you'll never get your man.

I am drinking an Irish Ale right now. It is an irish red brewed by my friendly neighborhood brewer, Boulevard. I love the Irish Ale. I even love the Celtic-ish label. It pours a deep reddish/caramel color with a decent foamy head that settles into lacing for the entire beer. It smells like sweet caramel, a little bready and malty, and a bit fruity. The taste is also caramel malts and sweet, but has some nuttiness, and a tiny hint of hops. The body is fairly light, and sparsely carbonated, and basically I love this beer.

Tomorrow I am taking the day off of work. I plan to start the day with a boxty, because no matter what anyone thinks, I think it sounds delish for breakfast. And a fat plate of potatoes sounds like a good way to pad the hubby's stomach for a long day.

I don't have a written recipe. My family never did, you just make them on sight. A boxty is like a latke, but if you make them flat enough, you can stuff them with fillings. Basically, if you are feeding an army, you take a pound of peeled potatoes, and boil half of them, and then make mashed potatoes. The other (raw) half of the pound you grate as if for hash browns. You take the grated potatoes and put them in a tea towel, and squeeze out all the liquid. Then you mix the raw grated potatoes into the mashed potatoes, and add flour, between a 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup, about a teaspoon of baking powder, and milk. Maybe a half a cup? I tend to add in less flour and milk than any recipe ever calls for in order to make them more like hash browns and less like pancakes. Then I grease up a pan, and drop them in. When they are brown on each side, they are ready to eat! You can combine the boxty with fried mushrooms and onions, or with an egg and bacon for a more breakfast friendly option. Yum! Happy St. Patrick's Day!