Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes

How many times do I introduce a recipe saying I had a version recently in a restaurant and it was awful? Here's another. Yeah, I had a version at a restaurant and it was awful. Really, people; these are not hard! You have to invest in a little very good olive oil and an entire lemon to make these, it's true, but given what we were charged by the restaurant in question, they really could and should have been able to do it.

I used to live on the Danforth in Toronto during the brief golden age of the Greek-town restaurants there. That has nothing to do with anything, but perhaps explains why I was so offended by the soggy and tasteless "Greek" potatoes served to me. These on the other hand will be crisp yet fluffy, rich yet zingy. Delicious, in other words.

3 to 4 servings
1 hour 45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

1 kilo (2.5 pounds) medium oval potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 cup unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon rubbed oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
the juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil

Peel the potatoes and cut them into wedges; put them in a bowl of cold water as you work. When they are all done, drain them and put them in a pot with the bay leaf and stock. Cover them and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and mince the garlic.

Transfer the potatoes with the bay leaf and broth to a shallow baking dish (9" x 13"), spreading them out evenly in a mostly single layer. Sprinkle the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper over them. Drizzle the lemon juice (seeds removed) over them, then the olive oil.

Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, then give them a gentle stir, spreading them out again. Continue roasting until the liquid has evaporated and the potatoes have browned a bit; about another 30 to 45 minutes. Serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Candied Ginger & Coconut Beets. 

Posted in: Ontario Food