Today I present a Greek "classic". Patates sto fourno a.k.a. roasted Greek potatoes. This dish also goes by "patates riganates" and "patates lemonates".
Let me show you how to cook one of Greece's most popular dishes.
Patates sto fourno are basically roasted Greek potatoes cooked with oregano, lemon juice and olive oil. It's a simple dish but if prepared correctly it's a taste sensation.
There's a particular kind of magic that comes into play when you combine what I refer to as the "Holy Trinity" of Greek cooking.
You may be wondering:
What is the "Holy Trinity" in Greek cooking?
Let's explore.
🥘 Ingredients
The ingredients required to make patates sto fourno:
- 5 medium sized potatoes, washed, dried and cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon of dried Greek oregano
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 - 1 cup of water
- salt and pepper to taste
Oregano - the oregano needs to be Greek oregano. Yes, there is a difference. The bland, tasteless green stuff they sell in jars at the supermarket just won't cut it.
Lemons - make sure you use nice juicy lemons
Olive oil - use the finest extra virgin olive oil on hand. If it's Greek extra virgin olive oil - that's even better.
Potatoes - when it comes to choosing the potatoes for patates sto fourno, I'll leave that up to you. I personally am not a fan of using waxy potatoes when preparing roasted Greek poatatoes.
Those potatoes are much better suited to potato salads - where they can hold their shape well after being boiled.
🔪 Instructions
How to make Greek potatoes:
- Start off by drizzling a very small amount of olive oil on the potatoes. Proceed to toss them in the oregano along with some salt and pepper.
- Place the seasoned potatoes on a shallow baking pan (mine measured 10″x12″)
- Pour the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and half the water in between the gaps created by the potatoes (if you pour these over the potatoes you will wash off the oregano!)
- Cook for 45 mins-1 hour checking halfway through…you may need to add a little more water. Potatoes are cooked when they are pierced with a fork and feel soft and tender
- Serve immediately along with some of the olive oil from the pan
The beauty of roasted Greek potatoes is that they soak up all the juices when cooking.
The combination of the oregano, lemon juice and olive makes the potatoes turn out slightly crisp, yet deliciously soft (but not soggy!).
🥗 Side dishes
Here's the deal:
I'm sure we've all had roast spuds at one time or another in our life. A roast just wouldn't be a roast without some kind of potato dish on the side!
Patates sto fourno are magical when cooked alongside a roast lamb or chicken.
It's a classic combination and one that I still love today.
My Greek roast lamb is the perfect dish to serve with patates sto fourno
These roasted Greek potatoes area also delicious when paired with other vegetarian recipes.
Some suggestions:
With a little creative thinking, you can use the roasted Greek potatoes in your own Greek feast!
📋 Recipe
"Patates sto Fourno"
Ingredients
- 5 potatoes, washed, dried and cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp oregano, dried, Greek preferred
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
- Start off by drizzling a very small amount of olive oil on the potatoes. Proceed to toss them in the oregano along with some salt and pepper. Place the seasoned potatoes on a shallow baking pan (mine measured 10″x12″)
- Pour the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and half the water in between the gaps created by the potatoes (if you pour these over the potatoes you will wash off the oregano!)
- Cook for 45 mins-1 hour checking halfway through…you may need to add a little more water. Potatoes are cooked when they are pierced with a fork and feel soft and tender
- Serve immediately along with some of the olive oil from the pan
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