Boxtie or Boxty ?

hile we were in Co. Leitrim we heard so many stories about Boxtie. Everyone that we told about our on-line Irish food store would ask if we were selling Boxtie. We were told that Boxtie is a Co. Leitrim recipe from way back in time. This potato pancake type of recipe was first made by a poor farmer named Boxtie. Any kind of potato dish was the main source of food for the poor.

This recipe was passed down from generation to generation and to all of the poor. After a while, the middle and upper classes tried it and now you can get it served in just about any restaurant. The grocery stores sell it pre-made and packaged, usually in the bread section. There is a poem about it that I took from the wall in O'Brien's Tavern:

Then I heard of another version of this directed toward the female population:

Boxtie on the griddle
Boxtie on the pan
If you can't make Boxtie
You'll never get a man

Here is the recipe for you to try:

1 lb. boiled mashed potato (2 cups)
1 lb. grated raw potato (2 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 lb. flour (1 cup)

Mix ingredients together; divide in half and cook on a preheated griddle or 10 inch frying pan on medium heat, flipping once when the outside edges look dry and golden brown. Yield: 2 large potato cakes