Boxty

2025-10-07T09:41:40Z

2600:4040:2F83:7300:11B7:2A62:FE08:3DDD: /* St. Brigid's Day */removed dubious content

{{Short description|Traditional Irish potato pancake}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Boxty
| image = Boxty triangle.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = A slice of boxty served as part of Irish breakfast
| alternate_name = Poundy, poundies
| country = [[Ireland]]
| region =
| creator =
| type = [[Potato pancake]]
| served =
| main_ingredient = [[Potato]]es, [[flour]]
| variations =
| calories =
| other =
}}

'''Boxty''' ({{langx|ga|bacstaí}} or {{langx|ga|steaimpí|label=none}}) is a traditional [[Ireland|Irish]] [[potato pancake]]. The dish is mostly associated with the north midlands, north [[Connacht]] and southern [[Ulster]], in particular the counties of [[County Leitrim|Leitrim]], [[County Mayo|Mayo]], [[County Sligo|Sligo]], [[County Fermanagh|Fermanagh]], [[County Longford|Longford]], and [[County Cavan|Cavan]]. There are many recipes but all contain finely grated, raw [[potato]]es and all are served fried.

The most popular version of the dish consists of finely grated raw potato and [[flour]]. The grated potato may be strained to remove most of the [[starch]] and [[water]] but this is not necessary. The mixture is fried on a [[griddle]] pan for a few minutes on each side, similar to a normal [[pancake]]. The most noticeable difference between boxty and other fried potato dishes is its smooth, fine-grained consistency.

An old Irish rhyme is: "Boxty on the griddle; boxty on the pan. If you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man!"<ref>{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Boxty, Ireland's Potato Pancake |url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/northern-ireland/articles/a-brief-history-of-boxty-irelands-potato-pancake/ |website=theculturetrip.com |date=5 August 2017 |access-date=27 February 2023 |archive-date=27 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227212717/https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/northern-ireland/articles/a-brief-history-of-boxty-irelands-potato-pancake/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the interest in [[Irish cuisine]] has increased, so the popularity of boxty has risen. It is not unusual to see boxty on the menus of [[restaurants]] outside the areas with which it is traditionally associated. Boxty may be bought in [[Retailing#Shops and Stores|shops]] and [[supermarkets]] either in the dumpling form or ready-cooked as pancakes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Boxty that is made in Leitrim is to be sold in one of the country's biggest supermarket chains here.|url=https://www.shannonside.ie/news/boxty-made-leitrim-sold-one-countrys-biggest-supermarket-chains-169637|website=Shannonside|access-date=2023-02-27|archive-date=2023-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227213230/https://www.shannonside.ie/news/boxty-made-leitrim-sold-one-countrys-biggest-supermarket-chains-169637|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Method of preparation==
[[File:Boxty with beef and squash.jpg|left|thumb|Boxty, in a contemporary presentation served wrapped around beef and with [[courgettes]] and sauce]]
Boxty can be made several ways. When baked in a pan it is sometimes called "boxty bread". Potatoes are grated over [[cheesecloth]] and excess water is allowed to drain. It takes around half an hour for the starch to separate and sink to the bottom of the potato liquid. Meanwhile, the grated potatoes are covered with mashed potatoes and when ready, the starch is distributed evenly over the potato mixture. The potato mixture is combined and sprinkled with flour, salt, pepper and melted butter or bacon fat. This "dough" is kneaded, shaped into cakes and scored with a cross so they divide into [[farls]] when baked.<ref name=celts>{{cite book|last=Asala|first=Joanne|title=Celtic Folklore Cooking|year=1998|publisher=Llewelyn|page=91|isbn=9781567180442|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H0GvNv6wUr8C&pg=PA91|access-date=2019-08-30}}</ref>

Boxty may also be pan-fried like a [[griddle-cake]]. It is made the same way as boxty bread, with the addition of enough milk to achieve a batter consistency. Some recipes also add egg yolk or baking soda. It is advised to allow the pan boxty to cool and reheat before serving.<ref name=oxford>{{cite book |last=Friedland |first=Susan R. |title=Vegetables: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking 2008 |year=2009 |publisher=Oxford Symposium |isbn=9781903018668 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sV5tBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT117 |access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref> The finished pancakes can be served with honey, butter or sprinkled with sugar.<ref name=celts /> They can also be filled with vegetables, meat or cheese.<ref>{{cite web |title=Authentic Irish: Think inside the Boxty |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sns-holiday-st-patricks-day-dishes-story.html |website=The Chicago Tribune |access-date=2019-08-31 |archive-date=2019-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831020100/https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sns-holiday-st-patricks-day-dishes-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:BoxtyDumplings.jpg|thumb|Boiled boxty dumplings with [[corned beef]]]]
Boxty dough can also be boiled like [[Dumpling|dumplings]]. This type of boxty is known as "boiled boxty" and is a traditional dish around Halloween in the 'north midlands' of Ireland, especially the counties of Cavan, Leitrim and the southern parts of Fermanagh.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web |title=Halloween perfect time to share in the beauty of Boxty |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/fermanagh/A973334.shtml |website=BBC |access-date=2023-02-27 |archive-date=2023-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227204603/https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/fermanagh/A973334.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Preparation of the dough requires squeezing excess moisture from the grated potato and combining with mashed potatoes and flour and seasoning with salt. The dough is formed into round dumplings known as "hurleys".<ref name="bbc.co.uk" /> The hurleys are dropped into a pot of boiling water and boiled for over half an hour, then removed and stored for later. When ready to be eaten, the hurleys are sliced and the slices are pan-fried in butter.<ref name="oxford" />
Modern variations can include [[Zante currant|currants]] and [[raisins]], or service with [[cornflour sauce]] like steamed [[pudding]].<ref name="Irish">{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Georgina |title=The Best of Irish Breads and Baking: Traditional, Contemporary and Festive |date=May 2005 |publisher=Georgina Campbell Guides |isbn=9781903164150 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H1cHIpWFdRAC&pg=PA22 |access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref>

The traditional preparation known from an 1854 edition of ''Dublin University Magazine'' was made by mixing potato with either flour or [[oatmeal]] and adding animal fat or butter to form a cake. Potato graters were made from tin cans. With the addition of egg yolk, butter and milk, it is possible to roll the dough to 5/8 of an inch thick for cooking on a griddle. Boxty was most popular served with a smear of butter for tea but was also eaten for breakfast.<ref name=almanac>{{cite book |last=Clarkson |first=Janet |title=Food History Almanac: Over 1,300 Years of World Culinary History, Culture, and Social Influence |date=24 December 2013 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9781442227156 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOzYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA113 |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=24 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524163515/https://books.google.com/books?id=KOzYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA113#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

==St. Brigid's Day==
In Ireland, [[St. Brigid]] is the patron saint of [[dairy]] and she is associated with milk, butter, ale, cheese and bacon. Boxty is served for [[St Brigid's Day]] with other traditional foods like cross-shaped [[oat bread]] and Bride [[Bannock (British food)|bannocks]].<ref name=almanac />

==Etymology==
Likely Irish, possibly from the Irish ''arán bocht tí'' meaning "poor house bread"<ref>{{cite book|last=Ayto|first=John|title=The diner's dictionary : word origins of food & drink|year=2012|publisher=Oxford University ECB press|location=Oxford|isbn=9780199640249|page=42|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NoicAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA42|edition=2nd|access-date=2015-10-16}}</ref> or ''bácús'' meaning "bakehouse".

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Colcannon]]
* [[Full breakfast#Ulster|Ulster fry]]
* [[Full breakfast]]
* [[Hash brown]]
* [[Latke]]
* [[List of Irish dishes]]
* [[Northern Irish cuisine]]
* [[Potato bread]]
* [[Potato cake]]
* [[Potato waffle]]
* [[Rösti]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Irish cuisine}}
{{Pancakes}}
{{Potato dishes}}

{{Ireland topics}}

[[Category:Halloween food]]
[[Category:Irish cuisine]]
[[Category:Potato pancakes]]

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Boxty