Another Country Heard From

This blog is the story of the family of Michael Carney and Mary Dever of Achill, County Mayo Ireland

Boxty
Posted by Kay O'Donnell on Sat January 1st 2005, 6:56 pm

Mary,

If you mean by "take" that one was a modified version of the other, I don't think so. It is true that Dublin at one time had a mayor who was Jewish, and the Irish are said to be descended from the lost tribe of Israel, but I don't think that the two cultures (especially in the Gaeltech-the Gaelic speaking area) had much contact with each other since the potato was introduce to Europe from South America. However there are only so many ways to make a pancake, so the recipes could be very similar. If anyone wants to check it out, here's the recipe for Boxty.

Christmas Eve was a fast & abstain day, So Mom used to make Boxty (potato pancakes) for dinner.

Here's a poem I found with my recipe.

Boxty on the pan
Boxty on the griddle
If you don't get boxty
You'll never get a man

( I know it doesn't rhyme? Maybe it does in Gaelic.

Boxty

4 med potatoes 1 med onion 1 whole egg 2 tablespoons flour salt and pepper 2 tablespoons oil

  1. Peel and grate potatoes. In a bowl, mix with onions.
  2. Whisk the egg. Add to the potatos, along with flour, salt and pepper
  3. Heat oil in heavy bottom skillet. Over medium heat, drop 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the oil. Flatten slightly to form a round
  4. Fry until golden brown, turning once, 3-4 minutes per side.

They used to take a can, flatten it and make holes it it with a big ten penny nail . Then they'd use the rough side as a grater.