Irish Boxty Pancakes

Irish Boxty Pancakes

From Time/Life's Foods of the World - The Cooking of the British Isles, 1969:

To make about 10 pancakes:

3 medium-sized potatoes (about 1 pound), preferably baking potatoes

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

3 to 4 tablespoons butter or rendered bacon fat

Crisp fried bacon (optional)

Peel the potatoes and drop them into a bowl of cold water to prevent their discoloring. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and milk, and optional caraway seeds. One at a time, pat the potatoes dry and grate them coarsely into a sieve or colander. As you proceed, press each potato firmly down into the sieve with the back of a large spoon to remove its moisture, then immediately stir the gratings into the flour-and-milk mixture.

In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter or fat over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, pour in about 1 tablespoon of batter for each pancake. Cook 3 or 4 pancakes at a time, leaving enough space between them so that they can spread into 3.5- to 4-inch cakes. Fry them for about 3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crisp around the edges. Transfer the finished pancakes to a heated plate and drape foil over them to keep them warm while you cook the remaining cakes, adding fat to the pan when necessary. Serve the pancakes as soon as they are all cooked, accompanied if you wish by crisp bacon.