Traditional Irish Boxty

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and white pepper. Set aside.

Peel the potatoes. Chop half of them into small, even pieces and place them in a pot. Cover with cold water.

Cook the potatoes over medium-low heat until tender and a knife passes through easily, about 15–20 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. Avoid boiling them too hard.

Drain the cooked potatoes, then mash them using a potato ricer or potato masher. Keep the mashed potatoes warm while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Grate the remaining raw potatoes as late as possible to help prevent them from browning. You can use a food processor or a box grater.

Place the grated potatoes in cheesecloth or a thin clean towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

If you keep the potato liquid, let it sit for a few minutes. Pour away the watery liquid and keep the starch that settles at the bottom.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm mashed potatoes, grated raw potatoes, milk and the flour mixture.

Add the reserved potato starch, if using, and mix until evenly combined.

The batter should be thick but spreadable. If it feels too dry, add a little more milk, one tablespoon at a time.

Heat about 30g of butter in a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan over medium heat.

Add about 80ml of batter for each boxty and spread it gently into a pancake shape.

Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Transfer the cooked boxty to a heatproof dish and keep warm in a low oven, or cover with foil.

Repeat with the remaining batter until all the boxty pancakes are cooked.