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The word farl originates from the Gaelic word fardel meaning four parts. These potato griddle breads can be made with leftover mashed potatoes too. Serve hot with a little butter and salt or fry them alongside soda bread as part of an Ulster Fry.
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 pinch salt
Directions
Step 1
Gather all ingredients.
Step 2
Cover potatoes with water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer on medium-high heat until center of potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Drain, return potatoes to the pot, and allow to completely dry out over the remaining residual heat.
Step 3
Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Step 4
Place warm mashed potato in a medium bowl. Stir in flour, melted butter, and salt. Mix lightly until dough forms.
Step 5
Knead dough lightly on a well-floured surface. The dough will be sticky. Use a floured rolling pin to flatten into a 9-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into quarters using a floured knife.
Step 6
Sprinkle a little flour into the bottom of a skillet and cook farls until evenly browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Season with a little salt and serve straight away.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 218 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat3g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol8mg | 3% |
| Sodium33mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate43g | 16% |
| Dietary Fiber5g | 18% |
| Total Sugars2g | |
| Protein5g | |
| Vitamin C42mg | 210% |
| Calcium28mg | 2% |
| Iron2mg | 11% |
| Potassium906mg | 19% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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source by allrecipe
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We had these with the Ulster Fry-Up, and although I had told myself beforehand that I’d have only one wedge, I ate so many that I’d hate to admit to the actual count. Fantastic!
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I usually make boxty for our StP’s dinner, but I saw these and thought I’d give them a trial run. I can’t say I liked them. I found I needed WAY more flour to make the dough pliable, and they really didn’t achieve the light fluffy texture that farls should have. I think I’ll try my luck with Ita’s farl recipe that uses buttermilk.
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i made these for st pactricks day for my bf … i did a mistake and added icing sugar and honey with them… dont try it … the are ment to be salty!
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Made this on St Patricks Day as part of an Ulster Fry-up breakfast. My husband really liked them and my 4 year old daughter and I thought they were ok. The recipe was very easy but I did have to add quite a bit more flour than the recipe called for. Might try adding some onion and herbs next time.
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These potato pancakes don’t have any flavor. I tried making them in a pan with flour, then I tried frying some of them in oil. The fried ones had a little flavor, but overall they were really blah.
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I used about twice the flour butter and salt, and they turned out great. I also put a pat of butter on each piece before I served them, We all really liked them.
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These are delicious! I followed the PR’s suggestion and doubled the butter and flour…mmmm…betcha can’t eat just one!
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These were delicious! I added a little onion powder to the dough mixture – this was a BIG help! I used bacon grease to fry the second batch instead of using flour – this was also quite tasty. They were good either way, really… thanks for sharing!
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didn’t turn out right at all. would not make again. seems like they need more flour.
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To those folks who complained about blandness: This is a biscuit. A quick bread devised in a time of dearth in order to survive. It’s not a cookie nor a main course. It’s easy and filling and tasty and a good foil for a myriad of savory foods if you happen to be fortunate enough to have something else for an entree.
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I followed the recipe but it either did not turn out right or it just was not the best, nothing like my dad use to make.I even tried to do it again with double the flour and butter… I will probably try a differnt recipe next time.
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This recipe is a good basic platform to start from. From this recipe, I went about milling around the kitchen to make it easier and a bit quicker. What I came up with: 1 pouch of ‘instant’ mashed potatoes following the box’s normal cooking directions worked great. I added about 2 tablespoons more butter. I started with adding a cup of flour, and from there, I kept adding 1/4 cup flour until the mix reached a consistency similar to bread (but still slightly sticky). I hand patted out larger rounds (make sure you have extra flour on hand) and fried them up in a mix of oil and butter. *Make sure the ‘patties’ are thin, because they really solidify and puff up a bit, which makes them kind of thick to eat*. Other than that, added herbs and bit more salt helped. You can butter the end result to taste.
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I’m not patient enought to boil fresh potatoes so I used instant mashed potatoes and mixed in rice flour because I’m gluten intollerant. My husband keeps trying to get me to make them because he loves them so much. We “Americanize” them by adding shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and for me, sour cream. OMG so good.
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If you add buttermilk to the recipe, it makes the dough more pliable, also the griddle must be at a very low temperature.My granny used to make these when I was growing up in Ireland, and she always added butter milk.I add crushed garlic to mine now, and sometimes basil.You can even add mashed veg to get your kids to eat them, taste good too.
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I made the recipe using whole wheat flour, and it worked fine. I used the onion powder suggestion. I also cooked the potatoes in chunks with the skin on; it peeled off easily. Great on a cold day. We had them with sardines.
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I was raised on these but we just called them potato pancakes because my Mom and Grandmother made them into individual cakes. I add a little onion and garlic powder and always serve with a little butter on top. By doing individual cakes they are easier to spoon on the pan and flatten and 1/4 of flour is just enough.
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My first batch wasn’t working. I think my potatoes where larger than medium so I had to keep adding flour to make it dough-like and then it worked out.
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I used leftover mashed potatos, added a bit more flour then recommended and added some buttermilk and they came out alright. I think next time I’ll try some garlic and parmesan, or maybe red pepper flakes to give it a bit more flavor.
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i make these all the time for my husband i am the only one other then his granda that know how to make these..if you dont wont to use fresh potatoes you can use deb (instant potato flakes) they turn out great aswell…also in stead of rolling it out as i piece when we have barbeques i roll them into balls then put them on the bbq and flatten them out… once you have dry cooked them you can place them in the fridge and next day when you make bacon and eggs fry bacon then eggs in left over fat fry the farls they taste awsome…
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These turned out perfect! We used them like nachos with ground beef, cheese, and sliced scallions
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Fantastic! I moved from Northern Ireland to Canada in 2003 and this is what I missed most! They taste exactly as they do when you buy them from the shop. I prefer to toast mine with butter dripping off them. I use a 10 pound bag of potatoes so that I can make extras for freezing and share with the rest of the family I have over here. Thank you so much for posting!
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My family learned to make these years ago when we moved to Canada from Northern Ireland. Also Soda Farls because you can’t get either here, lol. These are actually made to griddle, but then fry in bacon grease or lard, then we put HP sauce on them. Yummy! Same as the Soda Farl, after grilling you fry in whatever grease you want and either eat with an egg on top or HP sauce. This is a family favorite for us. The soda farl tastes good just eating right off the griddle, but these I have always perferred them after you fry them. (but you still have to griddle them first before you fry) Anyways, that is just my two cents, lol. Enjoy. Oh, and the key to these turning out is to dry your potatos after boiling as the OP said. If you don’t dry out your potato, it will be too mushy with the flour. And with these and with Soda farl, you need to be willing to adjust how much flour you use. There can be lots of different factors that affect how much flour goes in. And the soda Farl is the same thing with the buttermilk. Sometimes it is say one cup and other times you might use 1 1/4 or even 1 1/2 cups. Once you get to know what the dough for either should look and feel like, you just make your adjustments with the ingredients. If you ask some of the older generations that made these for an Ulster Fry, they will tell you that you can’t always count on the exact same measurements.
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My mom made these with the left over mashed potatoes when I was a kid. We called them potato cakes. My dad was Irish but I just thought it was another way not to waste food. With 11 kids to feed nothing went to waste.I make them and like some of the others, add a little onion.
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Farl’s are wonderful and this is the perfect recipe. I notice a lot of people saying they needed to double the flour – I find that it depends on the water content of the potatoes. The dryer the potato – the lesser the amount of flour. You are after all making a dough. it is very important to let the potatoes dry on a warm stove. I’ve been known to put mine in the oven for a bit on warm. I do also add a bit more butter – and thats just for personal taste (and in case I over-dry! :)) These are a wonderful comfort food and in these days – this recipe can be used as a base for a wonderful main dish add a veggie over top with a bit of meat a bit of gravy, sort of like a pot pie YUMMY a very very economical and delicious meal! or for breakfast, add crumbled cooked bacon to your dough and serve with fried eggs over top! I’ve even tried rolling this dough around pre-cooked hotdogs and I got to tell you, it was wonderful! (but thats just me :)) – for changing the recipe up – Try adding rosemary, or dill. Plenty of Garlic… and yum onion! Grate and dry your onion with the potatoes. instead of butter try butter and sourcream – or sour cream alone. The sky’s the limit. Thanks Ita for the perfect Farls recipe!
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This can go into the ‘Penny Pincher’ column. We always save left-over mashed potatoes (refrigerated, of course) to make our version; we call them potatoe cakes, sort of the size of crab cakes or small pancakes. Additives welcome: onion, peppers, spinach, carrot, celery, spices, etc..
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My Scottish mother-in-law who emigrated to Canada used to make these. She called them potato scones. She always fried them in bacon fat and we put HP sauce on them. They were wonderful!
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this turned out good. However I did add spices such as oregano and pepper after I read the comments noting they were bland. my biggest problem was that the cooking time was way off. each side needed 10 minutes and not 3 as noted. this is a big difference it changes the recipe from quick and easy to long and tiring.
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Maybe I did something wrong…mine were practically impossible to cook. I thought the taste was good (because I added lots of seasonings), but the dough was so sticky, even with extra flour, that they would not stay together or form a shape for anything when I cooked them.
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Tried making this for St. Patrick’s Day this year. What an epic fail! Just a huge potato and flour mess!! Went straight from the cutting board to the trash. No matter how much flour I added while trying to make a “dough” and knead it, it did nothing. Was attempting to try something new but I won’t be trying this again.
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I make mine a little differently. I use left over mashed potatoes, add a little baking power and then start adding flour until it has the consistency of pie dough. After rolling it out, I fry it in margarine until brown on both sides. When they are done I put some butter on top. I usually make a lot so I freeze the extra, uncooked potato bread on cookie sheets and then put them in zip lock bags to cook later. So very bad for you, but so, so good.
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These taste delicious but, and this could be because I used cold leftover mashed potatoes, they didnt hold together like a biscuit. They were like I plopped some mashed potatoes in a skillet and fried them.
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Perfect tatty bread. Those having problems with the dough havnt dried off their spuds first, it’s a must!
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As another reviewer wrote, I always add buttermilk. My son loves them both warm off the griddle or then fried in the bacon grease when we’re having an Ulster Fry.
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I grew up in Ulster eating potato bread and bacon (mostly!) and these are pretty authentic.
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Great recipe! I dont think fardel comes from either scots or irish gaelic though – more like the old english word for fourth.
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I make these, but never used a recipe; a friend showed me how to make them 18 years ago when we first moved to Ireland. They are bland, they are intended as a food carrier, not as a food by themselves and are usually eaten with breakfast or another meal. In Northern Ireland they are sometimes deep fried after cooking as part of the “Ulster Fry” they are good that way too, but I prefer just the griddle version. To reheat just place under a grill, in a toaster/toaster oven or use the griddle again. You can also stick between two damp paper towels in the microwave for about 20 seconds but any longer may make the tough. They are very good with canned beans also with jam, honey, melted cheese or bacon.
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Great old Irish recipes it brings me back to my youth when all things were simple and easy.
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The way I made it, which may or may not have been accurate, since I am very inexperienced in the kitchen, it can out nice and doughy and browned on the outside, but the inside was more of the texture of a regular old potato. It was delicious!
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I cheated: Based on other users, I added 1 tsp Italian seasoning (instead of salt), 1 clove of garlic, and 1 more tbsp of butter. I added the Italian seasoning with the flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-free baking flour for a gluten-free dish!). I chopped/sliced the garlic then melted it with the 2 tbsp of butter the night prior, letting it set in the fridge overnight. I followed the rest of the directions and was super in love! I also recommend an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce, as it was fabulous together. This was a definite hit! Thank you for this lovely recipe!
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These did not turn out at all. This is definitely a recipe where the amount of potatoes you use matters down to the T and thus requires a more specific measurement than just 4 medium potatoes.
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Easy to make and tast delicious.
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Family favorite! Our grand mom served these to us with a fried egg. Best breakfast ever!
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I made these farls yesterday to stretch out our dinner. My husband who doesn’t like anything ate every single bite. He asked what they are – I told him – ‘whatever they are make them again.’ Now that’s a five star rating. I made no changes – I do need to gather a few skills turning them over so they aren’ just big globs…Yippee – great..
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A good simple authentic tasting recipe. Some might say bland, but think about where and when it was invented. In Ireland, in the grips of rationing and limited ingredients. Salt and pepper are the only spices needed, and real butter melted over it. Yum.
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Hubby makes these all the time from cold potatoes. That is the key. It changes the starch and blends nicely with the flour added. Sometimes, he adds dehydrated onion bits. Buttermilk is a great addition. don’t try to flip these until one side is firmly cooked or they will fall apart. Cook them slowly and well.
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This is very close to my great-grandmother’s recipe.. I use an Iron Skillet over a med-high heat and that works best for me. Thank you for this recipe and a touch of Ireland!
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This is a quick snack option and comes together pretty quickly. I like mine on the thicker side.
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