Name: Greek Lemon Roast Potatoes (Patates Lemonates)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2½ pounds (1.1kg) starchy potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled; 1 teaspoon salt, for seasoning the cut wedges; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil; ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons; 4 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated; 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano; 1 cup (240 ml) chicken or vegetable stock, or water; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Greek Lemon Roast Potatoes (Patates Lemonates)

Patates lemonates are the potatoes you find piled next to the souvlaki and gyro at almost every taverna in Greece, and they are built on a completely different principle than the crunchy, all-over-crisp roast potatoes common elsewhere. Instead of relying on a hot dry pan, the wedges are roasted in a shallow bath of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano loosened with stock or water, which lets them steam and slowly braise as much as they roast. The result is a potato that is soft and almost silky at the center, sharply tangy throughout, with only the exposed tops and edges catching real color and a bit of chew once the liquid finally cooks away. It is a humble side dish, but the lemony pan sauce that forms in the last stretch of cooking is what people remember, and it is every bit as essential alongside grilled meats as the souvlaki or gyro it usually accompanies.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Cut the peeled potatoes into thick wedges, roughly 1½ inches wide, so they hold their shape through the long cook.
Arrange the wedges snugly in a single layer in a large baking dish or roasting pan; they should fit fairly tightly so the sauce has less room to spread thin.
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Pour the mixture over the potatoes and toss well by hand so every wedge is coated.
Pour the stock or water into the gaps around the potatoes, not directly over the top, until the liquid comes about halfway up the sides of the wedges.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast for 40 minutes so the potatoes steam and start to soften in the lemony liquid.
Remove the foil, turn each wedge over, and return the dish to the oven uncovered for another 35 to 45 minutes.
Check the pan around the halfway point of the uncovered roasting; if it looks dry before the potatoes are tender, add a splash of hot water or stock.
The potatoes are done when a fork slides easily through the center, the tops are golden and slightly caramelized, and the sauce has reduced to a thick, glossy coating rather than a pool of liquid.
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes, then spoon the pan sauce back over the potatoes before serving warm.

Tips for Success

Choose a starchy, dense potato like Yukon Gold or Russet; waxy varieties can turn mushy after the long braise-then-roast cooking time.
Do not skip the final uncovered stretch — that is what evaporates the extra liquid and lets the tops brown, giving the dish its characteristic tender-inside, golden-edged texture.
Keep the potatoes packed closely in the pan; too much surface area lets the liquid spread out and evaporate too fast, leaving the centers underdone.
Leftovers reheat best in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, which re-crisps the edges that soften again in the refrigerator.