farl | offmotorway

What’s a potato farl, I hear you ask. Well, it’s a northern Irish potato bread, made flat and cooked on a griddle pan. It is an integral part of an Ulster Fry, a variation on the full cooked breakfast beloved of the people of the islands of Britain and Ireland, and containing all sorts of fried ingredients including egg, sausage, bacon, black pudding and white pudding, as well as the slightly healthier beans, tomatoes and mushrooms. Alongside the potato farl, you may also find fried soda bread!

Well, you can build a healthier, veggie version of this meal with grilled tomatoes sprinkled with dried basil, mushrooms cooked in a small amount of olive oil and the usual or reduced sugar baked beans. And this recipe for a gluten free potato farl makes a delicious base. I’ve added grated apple to the mix as this keeps the farl from being too dry at the end. They freeze well, so make a stack and keep some for later!

gluten free potato farls

Gluten Free Potato Farls

500g /1lb potatoes
2 tbsp butter or vegan margerine
1 mug / 100g / 4oz gluten free flour (I used Dove’s Farm white gluten free flour)
1 small apple, grated.

Scrub or peel the potatoes, but leave the skins on if they’re good enough. Boil them until tender (20 – 30 minutes). Drain and add the butter, then mash the potatoes thoroughly.

Add the grated apple, then sift in the flour a little at a time, until it forms a soft dough.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is approx 1cm or 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into rough squares.

Use a griddle or heavy bottomed frying pan and place it over a high heat. Adjust the heat down a little once the pan is hot. Don’t add any butter or oil, but place the farls, one or two at a time on the griddle, cooking until they start to brown. Flip them over and repeat on the other side.

Serve with a cooked breakfast or as pancakes drizzled with maple syrup.