Non-VegetarianNorthern Irish cuisine Breakfast

County Down Fadge (Potato Bread) with Bacon

Name: County Down Fadge (Potato Bread) with Bacon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 600 g floury potatoes (such as maris piper or kerr's pinks); 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 40 g Unsalted butter; 80 g Plain flour; 0.5 tsp Baking powder; 8 rashers thick-cut dry-cured back bacon; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 15 g salted butter

Tender griddled potato bread fried until crisp in rich bacon fat, served alongside thick-cut dry-cured back bacon.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· County Down

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 460 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

600 g floury potatoes (such as maris piper or kerr's pinks) — peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp Fine sea salt — plus extra for potato water
40 g Unsalted butter — melted
80 g Plain flour — plus extra for dusting
½ tsp Baking powder — for a light texture
8 rashers thick-cut dry-cured back bacon — rind trimmed if preferred
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper — to season
15 g salted butter — for frying if needed

Equipment

•large saucepan
•potato masher
•rolling pin
•cast-iron frying pan
•fish slice (spatula)

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 460 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 42 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 22 g
calories: 460 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold salted water and bring to the boil.
2
Simmer for 15 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
3
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and let them steam dry in the hot pan for two minutes.
4
Mash the hot potatoes until completely smooth and lump-free.
5
Beat in the melted butter, sea salt, and black pepper.
6
Gently mix in the flour and baking powder to form a soft, pliable dough.
7
Turn the dough onto a floured worktop and roll out into a circle roughly one centimetre thick.
8
Cut the circle into four equal triangular quarters, called farls.
9
Fry the bacon rashers in a heavy frying pan over medium heat until browned and crisp, then set aside warm.
10
Lay the potato farls directly into the hot bacon fat left in the frying pan.
11
Fry for three to four minutes per side until golden brown and crisp at the edges.
12
Serve the hot fadge immediately alongside the crisp bacon rashers.

Chef's tips

Always use floury potatoes rather than waxy varieties to ensure a light and tender crumb. Work the dough gently while the potatoes are still warm from the pan, as over-kneading will make the potato bread rubbery.

Ingredient substitutions

dry-cured back bacon → thick-cut streaky bacon or grilled pork sausages
plain flour → a 1:1 gluten-free plain flour blend

Storage

Store leftover cooled farls wrapped in greaseproof paper in the fridge for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat farls in a hot dry frying pan over medium heat for two minutes per side until crisp.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using cold or watery mashed potatoes, which creates a heavy and sticky dough
•Discarding the bacon fat instead of frying the potato farls directly in it
•Rolling the dough too thin, causing the fadge to dry out rather than stay fluffy inside

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside fried free-range eggs and grilled fresh tomatoesSpread with cold salted farmhouse butter while piping hotPair with a strong mug of Ulster-brewed black tea