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
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Boil the potatoes in a pan until tender, approx 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the chunks.
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Drain well, then mash or use a potato ricer.
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Stir in the butter and salt (if your mashed potatoes are cold, then melt the butter first).
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Stir the flour and baking powder together, then add to the potatoes. Stir or use your hands to bring it together into a dough.
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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.
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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.
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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.
