Apologies to all concerned if this post constitutes potato bread High Treason. Despite my surname I’m as Irish as the sky is yellow and this ain’t no heritage recipe handed down from grandma. But I just felt the urge to tackle this Irish classic one grey old Saturday morning, when a robust late breakfast was called for. Alone in the house, serenely quiet except for a little Ray LaMontagne through the speakers, this was really satisfying to make; something about the smoothness of the potato-based ‘dough’ made it wonderful to knead and roll.
Some recipes suggest using day-old mash for this, but I found that warm, freshly-made stuff produced a dough that was gratifyingly pliable. I strongly suggest you try to find some bacon fat in which to fry the bread - just trim some rashers and render them down in a hot pan if you don’t have a jar to hand - as this won’t be the same if you fry them in oil. I was lucky to have a jar of Iberico lard left over from recipe testing and it’s great to have in the fridge; use it for roast potatoes instead of goose fat, or even for sautéing vegetables for a flavour boost.
For those unfamiliar with potato bread (also known as potato farls or Tatie bread), it’s a bit misleading as it’s not the leavened stuff with which you make toast. Or at least mine’s not. It’s actually a cross between a hash brown and a pancake and traditionally served in wedges cut from the potato bread wheel. It’s essential to eat this hot and straight from the griddle, although the dough seemed to cope OK with a little spell in the fridge before I cooked it while I got on with making the bacon jam. Either do it this way or make the bacon jam first - which is probably a better way to order things when I come to think of it. The most important thing is that the potato bread is served immediately it’s cooked.
I’d heard about bacon jam but never tasted it, and thought it would be lovely with the potato bread, which it was. The smoky saltiness of the bacon works well with the sweet ‘jam’ - but if you are one of those folk who decries maple syrup with their pancakes and bacon, steer clear and just make the potato bread. It is also quite rich and next time I’m in bacon jam mode I will serve this dish with a fried egg and give the jam more of a supporting role rather than star-status. If you do this, you probably won’t need the sour cream as a foil to the jammy richness. This recipe is loosely based on a recipe on Mr Breakfast - a bit of a batty website but well worth a look if you need some ideas to start your food day.
All up, I was really pleased with this and it got the thumbs up from the team. Happy St Patrick’s Day.
For the potato bread
- 650g Desiree potatoes or similar, peeled and quartered
- 25g salted butter
- 100g plain flour
- salt and pepper
- Bacon lard
1. Steam or boil the potatoes until tender then add the butter and mash until creamy and all the lumps are removed. Season really well, especially with salt.
2. Transfer to mixing bowl and gradually sift in the flour, kneading with your hands between each addition to avoid floury lumps. The potato and flour should combine into a dough that holds together reasonably well.
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll or press into a flat circle about 22cm in diameter and about 5mm thick. Cut the dough wheel into segments that are manageable enough to transfer to a frying pan with an egg slice.
4. Melt some lard in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry segments of the dough for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until crisp on the outside and completely warmed through on the inside. Serve immediately.
For the bacon jam
- olive oil, for frying
- 500g smoked bacon, cut into lardons
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- soft light brown sugar
- 125ml maple syrup
- 250ml espresso
- 1 star anise
- a pinch of cayenne
1. Heat a small glug of olive oil in a frying pan and fry off the lardons until they start to crisp around the edges. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan and sauté slowly, adding a little olive oil if necessary, until they are very soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes more or until everything is starting to turn golden.
3. Return the bacon to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Stir really well then cook uncovered over a medium-low heat - it should gently bubbly away - until the liquids have reduced to a lovely jammy consistency.
4. Serve alongside the potato bread with a fried egg - the yolk must be runny!! - or a little dab of sour cream.
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