With horseradish sauce
This simple dish is found all over Ireland — in fact, there’s an old saying that a woman who can’t make quality Boxty will never catch a husband. Serve it with corned beef or just about anything on your St. Patty’s menu. Combining mashed and grated potatoes offers a satisfying texture.
Chop 1 potato into 1-inch chunks, put in a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the potato is very tender, 10–12 minutes. Drain, put into a large bowl and mash. You should have about 2 cups of mashed potatoes. Or, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, use those instead.
Using a food processor or box grater, grate the other potato. You should have 2 cups of grated potato. Add it to the mashed potato.
In a small bowl, mix together the egg and milk, and stir into the potatoes. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Pour about 1 inch of oil into a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot (test with a bit of the potato mixture; it should begin sizzling), scoop the potato mixture by tablespoonfuls into the oil. Press down gently to flatten. Cook until brown, then turn over and cook the other side, 2–3 minutes per side, depending on size. When done, remove patties to a rack set over a paper towel-lined plate to drain while you continue frying; then move cooked patties to a paper towel-lined platter and keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and horseradish. Garnish with parsley.
Serve the Boxty warm with the sauce. Or wrap and refrigerate for a few days.
Debbie Moose (debbiemoose.com) has authored seven cookbooks and is a former food editor for The News & Observer in Raleigh.
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