I’ve already come to terms with disappointing my deceased Irish ancestors by putting kale in my Shepherd’s Pie. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I figured it was as good a time as any to desecrate another traditional Irish recipe–boxty.
Boxty is a potato pancake that uses a combination of mashed and grated potatoes. The result is a unique texture that is both hearty and satisfying.
While most traditional recipes call for flour and cream or buttermilk, I substituted with cassava flour and coconut milk to keep things Paleo-ish. I also decided to dress up things up a bit with green onion and garlic powder along with the kale. I think the resulting flavor is something even the most conservative of my ancestors would enjoy. Top the boxty with a fried egg or some smoked salmon, and you’ll be thinking,”Irish I had more boxty!”
In my house, it was a given that any leftover mashed potatoes where going to be used in potato pancakes. However, if you don’t have any leftovers on hand, you’ll need start by boiling a pound of cubed potatoes in salted water.
Meanwhile, grate another pound of potatoes. You are welcome to grate the potatoes by hand, but I’ve found a food processor helps speed this step along.
Dump the grated potatoes in some cheesecloth and give them a good squeeze to get out as much moisture as possible.
Once the cubed potatoes are tender, drain them, transfer to a mixing bowl and mash. In a separate bowl mix together some cassava flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Add the grated potato, two beaten eggs, kale, green onion, and coconut flour followed by the dry ingredient mixture.
Stir well to combine. The consistency should be thick and slightly wet, very similar to pancake batter.
Heat two tablespoons of ghee in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter in and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until golden brown.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Kale Boxty (Potato Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes cubed
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes grated
- 1 cup finely chopped red kale leaves
- 2 green onions minced
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons ghee
Instructions
- Place the cubed potatoes in a medium pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a low boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, transfer to a large mixing bowl and mash.
- Place the grated potatoes in cheesecloth and squeeze to extract excess moisture. Combine with the mashed potatoes, kale, green onion, eggs,and coconut milk.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add to the potato mixture and stir until combined.
- Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add large spoonfuls of the potato mixture to the skillet and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
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