lemon potatoes

lemon potatoes

⏱️ 31 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook (51 minutes total)
📊 Hard
🍽️ Moroccan Cuisine

Instructions

Is this a good place to admit that I almost never ate potatoes growing up? I tell my Russian husband this and he’s baffled. Mashed? No. Roasted? No. Fries, only at restaurants. Tater tots, from the freezer on a too-rare occasion. Baked potatoes were definitely a dinner menu item and I don’t think anyone had anythingagainstpotatoes, just not a strong pull towards them. Needless to say, if the archives here are any indication, my kids will not be saying the same. And yet despite thegratins,the crispy crumbled, themelting,thebrown butter mash, thekugel,twice-bakedand theAnna, I still crave potatoes in ways I have yet finetuned a recipe for, and this brought me to a surge of lemon potato studies over the winter. Greek lemon potatoes (patates lemonates) are a classic for good reason: crispy edges, tender interiors, and steeped with lemon. They’re often served plain or a side with roast lamb, chicken, or another big Sunday meal. Typically, Russets (or Maris Piper in the UK) are used, and they’re often parboiled before roasting with, garlic, oregano, and olive oil are always present. Some have an added spoonful of semolina for extra crisp. I tried them all. They were all delicious. But I realized what I was yearning for in a lemon potato was closer to the roast-braise infusion ofmelting or fondant potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes, no par-boil, and a puddle of broth and lemon juice added in the last third of roasting time. This method yields so much flavor and richness, the potatoes seem to almost melt all while staying crisp at the edges. The pan juices reduce to a sticky, intensely flavored concentration. These might not be the most traditional, but I find them sunny and perfect. 6 months ago:Corn Coconut Soup1 year ago:Ultimate Banana Bread2 year ago:Essential French Onion Soup3 years ago:Asparagus and Egg Salad with Walnuts and Mint4 years ago:Cornbread WafflesandMushroom Tartines5 years ago:Sesame Soba and Ribboned Omelet SaladandApricot Hazelnut Brown Butter Hamantaschen6 years ago:The Consolation Prize (A Mocktail)andBaked Chickpeas with Pita Chips and Yogurt7 years ago:Whole-Grain Cinnamon Swirl Bread8 years ago:Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini9 years ago:Soft Eggs with Buttery Herb-Gruyere Toast Soldiers10 years ago:Spaetzle11 years ago:Irish Soda Bread SconesandSpinach and Chickpeas12 years ago:Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry SauceandBialys13 years ago:Caramel Walnut Banana Upside Down CakeandSwiss Easter Rice Tart14 years ago:Mixed Berry Pavlova

Ingredients

2 pounds yukon gold (ideally) or russet potatoes (see note), peeled and quartered lengthwise into thick wedges4 tablespoons olive oil or 3 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, diced2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, minced or 1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon kosher saltFinely grated zest and juice of two lemons (about 1/4 cup juice)1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed3/4 cup broth, chicken or vegetableChopped fresh parsley or dill, plus additional lemon slices or wedges, to finish

Cooking Tips

Listen, it wouldn’t be a Smitten Kitchen recipe without at least one dose of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-show in these photos, but today, as a treat, there are two: I tested these with different potatoes including the more traditional Russets (shown here) and while they’re all great, I vastly prefer these with creamier Yukon gold potatoes. Use what you’ve got, but if you can get golden, waxier potatoes, these are even better. I also prefer to roast them in a metal, not white or stoneware, baking dish or rimmed baking sheet — it goes faster, gets more crisp, and sticks less. Regardless, use what you’ve got and you’re in for a treat.