Cooks Illustrated
Serves 4
Published May 1, 2002.
I roughly measured everything. I thought it was okay, nothing special.
Why this recipe works
When well prepared, Greek-style garlic and lemon potatoes are crusty, nicely browned, and accented by a full (but not overpowering) lemon flavor and plenty of garlic bite. To arrive at our best recipe for Greek-style garlic and lemon potatoes, we chose Yukon Golds and browned them in a nonstick skillet in butter and vegetable oil for great flavor and golden color, before covering the pan to allow the potatoes to fully cook. We added lemon juice and zest, four cloves of garlic, and a sprinkling of salt and fresh oregano to finish our Greek-style potato recipe.
If your potatoes are larger than the size we recommend, you may have to increase the covered cooking time by up to 4 minutes. Though a nonstick pan makes cleanup easier, it is not essential.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (7 to 8 ounces each, about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges (see illustration below)
- 4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil and butter in heavy-bottomed 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts and foaming subsides, swirling pan occasionally. Add potatoes in single layer; cook until golden brown (pan should sizzle but not smoke), about 6 minutes. Using tongs, turn potatoes so second cut sides are down; cook until deep golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with tip of paring knife, about 5 minutes.
- While potatoes cook, combine garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and oregano in small bowl. When potatoes are tender, add garlic-lemon mixture, salt, and pepper; stir carefully (so as not to break potato wedges) to distribute. Cook, uncovered, until seasoning mixture is heated through and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle potatoes with parsley, stir gently to distribute; serve immediately.
Step-by-Step: Cutting Potato Wedges
Halve the potato lengthwise and, holding the knife perpendicular to the board, cut each half in half lengthwise to make quarters. Holding the knife at 45 degrees to the board, cut each quarter in half lengthwise, dividing the potato into a total of eight equal-sized wedges.