We went to Greece before the pandemic and ate many, many versions of Greek lemon potatoes, patates lemonates. I researched many recipes, including this classic one from Diane Kochilas, the Joan Nathan of Greek cookbook authors.
But the one I’ve landed on is simpler, with a pure lemon flavor. They are a Shabbat, holiday, and dinner party staple — tart, crisp, soft in the center, and light, for potatoes.
The key is to bathe the cubes in more high-quality olive oil and lemon juice than you think is normal. Then roast them longer than you think you should.
Let a couple of cubes burn, like the sacrificial challah. When you go to serve your lemon potatoes, remove them from the pan with a. slotted spoon, because you wouldn’t eat the latke-frying oil, either.
Greek Lemon Potatoes
Ingredients
- ½ cup white wine or water
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from 3 to 4 large lemons
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes about 6, scrubbed
- 4- 5 fresh bay leaves optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Cut the potatoes lengthwise, then cut cross-wise into 1-inch cubes. On a rimmed sheet pan or shallow baking pan, combine the wine or water, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, bay leaves and kosher salt. Toss the potatoes in the liquid to coat, then arrange the potatoes in an even layer. It’s okay if they are a bit stacked up — you will be tossing them.
- Roast the potatoes, turning occasionally with a spatula, until they are all brown and crispy on top, 40 to 60 minutes. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
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