If you know me, you might think that this post is a bit of a surprise. You see, I have a bit of a confession to make...I very strongly dislike potatoes. I know, crazy, right? I have only met one other person who dislikes potatoes. It doesn't seem to be a common dislike, especially for a girl like me who has Irish heritage. Sorry Ireland. But I digress...
In keeping with the Mediterranean flavours theme and my Father's Day dinner menu, where I will be hosting guests that do I like potatoes, I thought I would share with you, from my limited potato repertoire, one of the two potato recipes that I use when company comes over.
Now, just because I don't like the taste of potatoes, does not mean that I don't like the smell. There is nothing better than walking into a Greek restaurant and getting hit with the smells of garlic, oregano, lemon, etc. So naturally, Herb Roasted Greek Potatoes are my winter go-to. Oven roasted and browned to perfection. I was recently reading a blog post that gave away the secret to perfect Greek style potatoes...bet you can't guess what it is. Mustard, yellow mustard to be exact, like French's. It sounds a bit odd, but it totally works! It adds a touch of colour and a hint of tang. The longer you marinade the potatoes, the more yellow they become.
This recipe also calls for the addition of baking soda to the boiling potato water. The baking soda leaves a starchy, almost slimy coating on the potatoes which will become the crisp outer layer after the potatoes are roasted.
For this recipe, I tried cooking the potatoes two ways, but both on the barbecue grill.
The first method was to marinate, then cook the potatoes in an aluminium foil packet on the grill, as seen below.
The second method was to marinate, then cook the potatoes in a barbecue safe baking dish (I used a paella pan), covered with foil to start, then foil removed to finish. See below.
I had a hard time deciding which cooking style I preferred...
The first cooking method ended up softer and not as crispy. The foil packet kept the potatoes nice and juicy, and the marinade continued to add flavour through this cooking method.
The second cooking method became far crispier on the outside (thank you baking soda!), but still remained soft on the inside. It had an excellent charred flavour.
What a choice. In the end, I leave it up to you to decide how to cook your Herb Roasted Potatoes.
In the blog post I was reading about the secret mustard ingredient, the recipe oven roasted the potatoes for 1 hour covered, then uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes more to crisp them. Sorry to throw in a third option for you! Choices, choices, choices for the potato lovers amongst you.
This recipe would be amazing with my Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs. You can find the recipe on the blog here! Or serve as a side with a great tomato and cucumber salad. Let me know how you like the potatoes!
Enjoy!
Krista
Herb Roasted Potatoes, Greek Style, adapted from here
Ingredients
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled (I used a combo of fingerling, russet and new potatoes, all cut into same size spears)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp yellow mustard, like French's
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice + wedges to squeeze when serving
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp fresh oregano, for garnish
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
Method
In a large bowl filled with water, place potatoes, as you peel. Once potatoes are peeled, bring a large pot of water to boil, then add the baking soda and potatoes. Set timer for 2 minutes only. You want to slightly par-boil, not cook your potatoes. Remove potatoes after 2 minutes, drain water and rinse potatoes under cold water to stop the cooking. Place potatoes in a roasting pan that will allow them to lay flat in one single layer to marinate.
In a separate bowl make marinade. Combine garlic, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour marinade over top of potatoes and cover. Allow potatoes to marinate anywhere from 1 hour to one day. The longer you marinate, the more colour and flavour the potatoes absorb. I marinated mine for 24 hours.
When you are ready to cook, choose a cooking option from #1-3 below.
1. Barbecue in foil packet - bring grill to 375-400 degrees. Place foil packet onto grill, cook for 40-45 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. The bigger the potato spear, the longer the cooking time. Flip packet half-way through to brown all sides. Remove from grill, let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful when opening packet - the steam will be hot!
2. Barbecue in roasting pan - bring grill to 400 degrees. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil. Cook for 20 minutes (again this time will vary with the size of your potato spears) or until the potatoes are about half way done. Remove foil and flip potatoes to brown other side. Place foil back on top for another 10 - 15 minutes, then remove for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to crisp. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
3. Oven roasting - heat oven to 400 degrees. Place roasting pan, covered with aluminum foil into oven for 40-45 minutes. Shake pan half way through. After 40 minutes, remove foil and allow potatoes to continue cooking for last 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are dark and roasted. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Finish all potatoes with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and top with fresh oregano leaves.
Recipe Notes:
It is important to note that cooking times will vary, depending on the size of your potato spears and the temperature of your barbecue - please watch your potatoes for burning. When a fork can easily go through your spear, it is done.
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