Red onion, sage, blue cheese and potato farls

Winter

Farls are traditional Irish fare, sort of leavened fried potato cakes (what’s not to like there?). Sometimes they’re made with flour and served more like a soda bread of sorts, but they’re also made with potatoes and served at breakfast, particularly up in the north. I tend to make them with lots of red onion and sage and sometimes blue cheese too (again, what’s not to like?). They’re super as they are, but become super, super farls with a fried egg on top.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

250g (9oz) large white potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
25g (1oz) unsalted butter
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 handful of sage leaves, finely chopped, plus the flowers if available
40g (1½oz) plain flour
100g (3½oz) blue cheese, crumbled
½ tsp baking powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fried eggs and roast tomatoes, to serve (optional)

Method

Place the potato pieces in a pan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until tender. Drain and allow the potatoes to steam off for a few minutes in the colander, then tip them back into the pan and mash them with half the butter.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the remaining butter, followed by the sliced onion and a little salt and pepper. Cook for 6–8 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add the sage leaves, stir well and remove from the heat to cool.

Add the flour, blue cheese, baking powder and softened onion to the potato, season well with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Shape the potato dough into a round that measures about 16cm (61⁄4in) in diameter, then cut this round into 4 quarters. Wipe out the onion pan and return it to a medium heat.

Lay the quarters down in the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. The farls are delicious topped with fried eggs and roasted tomatoes.

Back to Membership