Potato farls (2024)

FAQs

Are potato scones the same as potato farls? ›

Also known as potato cakes or scones, potato farls are made from a flour and potato dough which is rolled flat and cut into slices, ready to cook.

Potato Farls is just mashed potatoes kneaded with some flour, butter, salt, and pepper, then fried up into tasty little pieces, making them the perfect recipe for the day after Thanksgiving!

Potato bread has been a staple in Ireland for centuries, not only because of the amount of potatoes we ate pre-Famine, but also because Ireland was not a great place to grow soft wheat due to the weather. Boiled potatoes can be mixed with any flour to make a rough potato patty that can be cooked in a pan or on a range.

Potato farls originated in Ireland as a way to use leftover mashed potatoes from dinner the night before. Using leftovers makes this dish quick, easy, and delicious! Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day (or any day) with this recipe!

It seems the Irish call them Potato bread, the English call them potato cakes (Lancashire), Scottish call them potato scones (tottie scones). Irish potato bread is typically made from mashed potato, and either flour or baking soda, and is usually fried.

The difference between potato farls and boxty is that in the former the potatoes are cooked beforehand before being added to the mixture. The word 'farl' comes from Old English 'fardel' meaning fourth.

The "griddle cakes", "griddle bread" (or soda farls in Ulster) take a more rounded shape and have a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake or farl is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a griddle, allowing it to take a more flat shape, and it is split into four sections.

: a small thin triangular cake or biscuit made especially with oatmeal or wheat flour.

Potato scallops/Potato cakes

In Australia and England, potato scallops are thin slices of potato that have been battered and deep-fried.

The Irish language is very descriptive the common word for potato in Irish is práta (pl. prátaí), hence the origin of Praties for Potatoes, There are literally 50 Irish words and descriptive phrases relating to the potato.

What is bread called in Scotland? ›

A plain loaf, slices of which are known in Scots as plain breid (pronounced [plen brid]), is a traditional style of loaf made chiefly in Scotland and Ireland. It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread.

We know it's a stereotype but most Irish do generally love a nice potato… thanks in large part to being raised on them! Interestingly, the Irish potato we know and love today isn't Irish at all! The classic white potato originates from the South Americas and made its way to Ireland via Europe!

The “soda” part – unsurprisingly – comes from the fact that Soda Farls are made with bicarbonate of soda. The “farls” part however comes from the Gaelic word “fardel”, which means “four part”. So referencing to the way Soda Farls are cut into four pieces before baking.

Eggs and potatoes affect the color

In contrast, most potato bread recipes use eggs, which can affect the color of the bread (thanks to their yellow-orange yolks). Similar to potato bread, brioche and challah – which also use eggs — also often have a slightly yellow color to them.

Once they are golden brown on both sides take the bread off the heat and place on a wire cooling rack. Hurrah! Your potato farls are ready to eat. Pop them in the toaster and spread with butter and a grind of black pepper, and if you are feeling indulgent some thin slices of mature cheddar or smoked salmon.

A tattie scone is quite thin and made from mashed potatoes and flour. A potato cake is eaten with savoury things such as chicken or beans, whereas a tattie scone is spread with butter and eaten with a cup of tea.

Tattie scones come from Scotland, potato farls (also sometimes called potato bread) come from Ireland, but they are essentially the same thing. They are a great way to use up leftover mashed potato, and are usually served as part of a cooked breakfast or as an afternoon snack spread with butter and jam.

A tattie scone (tottie scone) or potato scone is a regional variant of the savoury griddle scone which is especially popular in Scotland. Many variations of the recipe exist. They generally include liberal quantities of boiled potatoes, butter and salt.

Potato scallops/Potato cakes

In Australia and England, potato scallops are thin slices of potato that have been battered and deep-fried. The terminology used in Australia differs from state to state. In Victoria, Tasmania, and the Murray River regions of New South Wales, they are referred to as potato cakes.