Week Twenty!: Potato Farls and Parsley Lemon Zest Butter (And A Tasty Looking Salad)

Farls are an Irish potato fry bread whose name is derived from the Gaelic for “fourths,” loosely. There are actually a lot of delicious potato-based baked goods out there! This is one of them, and is easy, fast, and flexible. Jane whipped these up before I got back from a dog walk. Paired with some butter with parsley and lemon zest, or even just a scoop of jam, they make for a hearty snack or small meal. Especially if lightly warmed as suggested in the recipe, they seem to last well and taste great even well after they’ve been made.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups mashed potato approx 3 medium potatoes cooked and mashed
  • 1 tablespoon butter plus extra for frying
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes in a pan until tender, approx 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the chunks.
  2. Drain well, then mash or use a potato ricer.
  3. Stir in the butter and salt (if your mashed potatoes are cold, then melt the butter first).
  4. Stir the flour and baking powder together, then add to the potatoes. Stir or use your hands to bring it together into a dough.
  5. Lightly flour the work surface, then roll ⅓ of the dough out to a circle about 5mm thick. Dust the top with a little flour and cut the circle into four pieces with a cross.
  6. Heat a large dry frying pan (no oil or butter) and fry the farls in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side until they get dark spots and are cooked through. Repeat rolling and frying the rest of the dough.
  7. To serve, heat a pan, spread both sides of the farls with butter and fry each side for a few minutes until crispy and warm.