Potato farls recipe (Caribbean style)

Potato farls recipe – where the Caribbean meets Ireland, a true culinary affair of sweet potatoes, generously seasoned and shaped into potato farls.

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you all because it’s another fusion recipe. In case you aren’t aware, I do love mixing Caribbean flavours with western cuisine. I have done so several times already, however, two of favourite recipes are Caribbean style Paella and Thai pineapple fried rice  .

Both of these recipes are in my top ten most visited/made recipes on the blog. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend giving them a try. I promise you will love them!

Anyway, let’s talk farls, okay so you guessed by the title that farls are potatoes, starch enriched and carb loaded. YUP! The recipe to hand was inspired by my many trips to Ireland. I’m a true foodie, in the respect that when I go to another country I like to “live” like the locals.

I don’t want to settle for the tourist attractions. I want to see how the local people live, their food, cultural norms etc. This is exactly what I did in Ireland on my very last visit. Most people go to Ireland and visit the capital Dublin.

On the other hand, Charla, likes to venture out further a field. I went to the countryside and ate some local food including Irish potato farls which was quite nice might I add.

What are potato farls?

Farls aka potato cakes, or potato bread are one of the local Irish delicacies.

Farl originates from the gaelic word fardel which means four parts. This explains why it is cut into 4 quarters upon serving. Potato cakes are very simple to make even in their gluten free form.

How to make potato farls gluten free and Caribbean style

I managed to successfully achieve a 1-1 hassle free flour substitution. Rendering the recipe fool proof and equally as tasty. My choice in gluten free flour was brown rice. I’m beginning to learn that brown rice (albeit not paleo) is probably one of the easiest flours to work with.

I also added a splash of plant based milk and dairy free butter to the potato mixture to ensure any dryness would be eliminated. Dry/crumbly texture is a VERY common complaint in gluten free cooking. One that I am only too familiar with and seek ways to combat it.

The potatoes used in the recipe are Caribbean sweet potatoes with the red skin as shown in the picture. Unfortuntely, you can’t buy these potatoes in your local supermarket. You can purchase them from any Caribbean/African/Asian grocery store. Two small sweet potatoes as shown, are suffice for this recipe.

I boiled mine with the skin on and simply crushed the potato with the skin on. The skin literally peels offs with ease so you can remove and discard during this step. Farls aren’t generally seasoned so this is where the Island flair comes into play – we like seasoning!! be it ultra hot or mild, we hate food that is bland!!

I add a few herbs and spices, giving the potato cakes a little kick. I also used my baking tin as a template to outline the disc shape.

Can I freeze potato farls?

Yes, I would advise rolling out the dough and shaping and cutting the dough. Then store them in a freezer friendly bag ready to cook. You don’t need to defrost them prior to cooking them either.

Can I use an alternative to Caribbean sweet potatoes?

Yes, If you’re struggling to find Caribbean sweet potatoes then next in line would be regular sweet potatoes with the orange flesh. They would work just fine!!

What to serve with potato farls

• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Eggs
• spinach
• Anything that forms part of a typical breakfast

How to make potato farls – the steps

1, Add the sweet potato to a saucepan with water and bring to the boil

2, Place your ingredients into a bowl = thyme, dairy free butter, scallion, brown rice flour, pepper and parsley

3, Once the sweet potato has boiled proceed to crush with a masher

4, Crush until the potato is soft and fluffy, ready to add to the dry ingredients bowl.

5, Combine the dry ingredients with a splash of milk to create a dough ball.

6, the dough should be pliable, not sticky and easy to pull apart

7, Prepare some parchment paper lightly dusted with flour and roll the dough flat

8, Use a template like a cake tin or disc to create a large circle

9, Use a knife or pizza cutter to create 4 quarters pieces

10. Cook each farl for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.

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