Has Sense of Place ever published a recipe before? I doubt it, but there's always a first time so here goes.

Boxty is a traditional dish found in the "Border" Counties of Fermanagh, Cavan, Donegal, and Leitrim. The main ingredient is potato and this recipe can be traced back to pre-famine times when potatoes were plentiful and the main source of food. It's been suggested that Boxty was a way of adding variety to a constant diet of "boiled spuds".

So how was it made in the "old days"? I'm indebted to Margaret Gallagher for the following description, which incidentally is how Margaret still makes Boxty - for she lives in a thatched cottage with neither running water, electricity, gas, telephone, TV or any of those other "necessities" of modern life.

BOILED BOXTY (the traditional way)

Dust your crook (The crane over the fire) with a goose's wing or beesum (Clump of heather). This is to clean it and remove any soot which might fall into the pot.

Fill the pot with spring water and hang from the crook over a blazing fire.

As the pot is boiling, mix equal quantities of Mashed Potatoes and Grated Potatoes. The grated potatoes having been wrung in a flour pack.

Add half of the above amount of Flour with a pinch of Baking Soda and a pinch of Salt. Mix these ingredients together adding Sweet Milk (cow's milk) to bind.

Flatten the mixture on a floured table and, with an upturned porringer (mug), cut into Hurleys (see photo later for a "Hurley") and drop into the boiling water. Within 5 minutes these hurleys should rise to the surface . Then leave to boil for 35 minutes. Remove them, slice each one horizontally and fry in butter.

Incidentally the water left over from boiling is rich in starch from the potatoes and was often used to stiffen collars and cuffs.

Halloween

Traditionally Boxty was made to be eaten at Halloween, but nowadays it can be bought in many Fermanagh shops all the year round.

Margaret Gallagher and her colleague Kathleen Maguire run the Belcoo and District Historical Heritage Centre where there is a comprehensive display of local artifacts and written records. It's open to the public and you can get more details by phoning them on 028 6638 6536 (International 004428 6638 6536) They often entertain groups of up to 40 visitors and are regularly called upon to furnish everyone with Boxty.

So not having a goose wing or big black pot to hand, I thought these two ladies were well qualified to show me how Boxty is made in the present day.

BOILED BOXTY (for six people)

Kathleen and Margaret get "stuck in"

Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.

Place two crossed metal spoons in the bottom. This is traditional, but is still the best way of ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom.

Take a quarter stone of potatoes (They used Kerrs Pinks for my demonstration) and peel, cook, mash half of them.

Peel and grate the other, raw, half.

Mixing in the milk and binding

In a bowl, mix the mashed and grated potatoes together,                                          

adding in about 2 lbs. of flour and a pinch of baking soda plus a pinch of salt

Fold this mixture putting in milk for binding.

Cutting out

Then lay out on the flour strewn table. I suggested a board and was scoffed at for being so modern. 'No'- they insist - lay this mixture, about half an inch thick, directly onto the kitchen table.

Now cut out the Hurleys using a mug, the edge of which has been coated with flour to stop it sticking.

Simmering hurleys

The hurleys are then dropped into the boiling water where they sink to the bottom, but magically - if you have your ingredients' quantities right - rise to the surface after about five minutes.

Kathleen at the pan

Leave them to boil for 35 minutes then lift out.                                                

Drain and slice horizontally.

Fry in a little butter.

"Any chance of another one please?"

And how best to eat your Boxty?                                                                  
Why, beside a turf fire of course.