Roasted Greek Potatoes with Lemon and Garlic
I wish I had a photo of the look on my nephew’s face when he took his first bite of these when he was very young. The lemon threw him for a complete loop. He’s too young to have the experience of impossibly blue skies and olive trees shimmering at dusk, but for me olive oil + lemon + oregano + garlic = retsina.
I was surprised to see that I don’t already have a recipe for roasted potatoes on the site somewhere. Since I do not, I want to point out one basic thing about vegetables, which is that once you coat them with oil, seasonings will not adhere to them. This leaves you with two general approaches to seasoning before roasting; create a seasoned oil, or season the vegetables before tossing them in oil. I think you should always salt potatoes just before putting oil on them. The salt becomes an integral part of the flavor, as opposed to sitting on top of the potato. Mincing garlic and letting it sit in olive oil for a little while before tossing the potatoes in the oil works well. For this recipe, that is not what I did, but you should do what appeals to you.
1.5 lb. red or white potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 – 6 garlic cloves, minced finely (garlic to taste)
2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tsp fresh oregano leaves (or halve if using dried)
2 – 3 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves – optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes in wedges. Place in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix garlic, lemon zest and oregano with fingers, add to potatoes and toss. Pour 2 tbsp. in bowl and toss potatoes until coated. (If the potatoes aren’t quite coated with oil, use a little bit more) Arrange in single layer on large roasting pan. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Check potatoes, stir and add remaining olive oil as needed if the potatoes are getting dry and add the lemon juice. Return to oven for 15 – 30 minutes or until they are creamy on the inside and golden on the outside.
Shopping List
1.5 lb. red or white potatoes
olive oil
garlic
1 lemon
fresh oregano leaves, if possible, dried if need be
fresh parsley leaves – optional but highly recommended
Date: April 1, 2010