Chicago is preparing for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and some residents are seeking out traditional Irish foods such as boxty, a potato pancake that is not commonly found in the city. Boxty is described as an Irish potato pancake made from grated potatoes and flour, with recipes varying to include mashed potatoes or milk. The dish can be fried or baked and served in sweet, savory, or neutral forms.
Pádraic Óg Gallagher, chef and owner of Gallagher’s Boxty House in Dublin, said to America’s Test Kitchen in 2022 that boxty is “a northwest [Ireland] peculiarity.” Kieran Aherne, regional manager of Fadó Irish Pub at 100 W. Grand Ave., said the restaurant added boxty to its menu because it was unique among local offerings. “We picked the boxty as it’s a very regional dish, and at the time, there wasn’t another place in Chicago serving it in any manner,” Aherne told Block Club Chicago. “We felt it would be a point of distinction for us.”
The history of boxty dates back to at least the mid-1800s in Ireland. Some historians believe it originated during the Great Famine when food was scarce and nothing could be wasted. An early mention of a “boxty mill” appeared in an 1857 Belfast News-Letter article; by the late nineteenth century, references to boxty had reached American newspapers.
Several Chicago establishments now serve variations of boxty. Mystic Rogue Irish Pub offers a veggie version stuffed with vegetables and white wine sauce; O’Shaughnessy’s Public House serves savory boxty during weekend brunch alongside eggs and meats; Fadó Irish Pub features several appetizers using boxty as wraps or wedges and plans to add more options this spring. Gaelic Imports sometimes carries imported boxty products depending on availability.
For those interested in making their own, historical recipes have been published dating back over a century. These include versions with caraway seeds from early twentieth-century Dublin newspapers and adaptations using buttermilk from Northern Ireland.
