Description
Irish Potato Cakes, also known as Potato Farls, are a traditional Irish side dish made with fluffy mashed potatoes mixed with flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, then pan-fried in butter until golden and crispy. These savory, tender cakes make a comforting accompaniment to any meal or a tasty snack on their own.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Potato Cakes
- 2 pounds potatoes (such as Russets or Yukon gold)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 3 tablespoons butter
For Frying
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Make sure all the potatoes are cut into equal size pieces so that they all cook evenly. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill it with cold water, enough to fully cover the potatoes. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and stir.
- Cook Potatoes: Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain and Mash: Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Put the potatoes through a potato ricer, press them through a sieve, or use a potato masher to get them as fluffy as possible.
- Make Dough: To the mashed potatoes, add the flour, 3 tablespoons of butter, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until a dough forms.
- Shape Potato Cakes: Flatten the dough into an 8-inch disk on a lightly floured surface, about 1 inch thick, then cut into 8 triangular pieces like slicing a pizza.
- Fry Potato Cakes: Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potato cakes and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until they are golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- If using leftover mashed potatoes, take them out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before combining with butter or use very soft or melted butter to make the dough easier to handle.
- You may need to adjust your flour amount depending on humidity; in dry climates less flour might be required.
- For a different texture, use half mashed and half shredded potatoes.
- Leftover cooled potato cakes can be refrigerated up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- For long-term storage, let the cakes cool completely and freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months; flash freezing them on a baking sheet before packaging prevents sticking.
- Thaw frozen potato cakes in the refrigerator overnight before frying as usual.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 potato cake
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
