Patates Sto Fourno (Greek Oven Roasted Potatoes)

Nothing is quite as sating as a plate, full of luscious Greek roasted potatoes, redolent of lemon juice, garlic, oregano and olive oil. The secret to making Greek Potatoes is water. Simply roasting them with olive oil and lemon juice doesn't give you the correct texture, but adding water (more than you would think) does the trick. [Many use chicken stock instead.]

Patates sto fourno (oven-roasted), which are also known as patates riganates (oregano) or patates lemonates, are commonly prepared as an accompaniment to roast chicken, with pieces of potato arranged around a bird in a roasting pan so that they soak up poultry juices during cooking. (See But patates lemonates can also easily be prepared on their own.

These are wonderful served with roasted chicken, but they're also great alongside almost anything you pull off the grill...especially steak, lamb chops or chicken breasts.

Recipe from http://www.marthastewart.com/

https://www.seriouseats.com/ browns their potatoes first on the stovetop in some of the olive oil with 2 crushed cloves of garlic. They then add the other ingredients and bake them in the oven until the potatoes tender and the stock is almost completely absorbed by the potatoes and has evaporated. They use a 3:2:1 ratio of chicken stock to olive oil to lemon juice, adding 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice at the end.

4 large russet baking potatoes (8 medium), peeled and quartered
1 cup water [or chicken broth]
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons) [this is too lemony, cut back to 1/4 cup and add more if needed at the end of cooking]
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Greek oregano, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Place potatoes in a metal roasting pan large enough to fit potatoes in a single layer. Add water, olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss potatoes until well coated.

2. Bake, uncovered, until fork-tender and brown on the edges, about 50 minutes. Turn potatoes halfway through for even browning; add water if all the liquid has been absorbed, before they have fully browned. If desired, garnish with oregano; serve.

Greek Oven Potatoes can be made in advance and held at room temperature for up to 3 hours, or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in a 275°F (135°C) oven before serving.

Serves 8