RCP: Oven Roasted Potatoes, with Lemon and Oregano

I love this method of cooking potatoes, they are delicious!
SERVES 6 -8

Ingredients
8 large potatoes, peeled, cut into large wedges (about 6-7 wedges per potato)
4 garlic cloves, minced (more garlic is a good thing, less garlic is a no-no for this recipe)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oregano (get the Mediterranean, it's the best!)
1-1 1/2 lemon, juice of
sea salt
fresh coarse ground black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 440°F
2. Put all the ingredients into a baking pan large enough to hold them.
3. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Put them in the pan and give everything a toss to distribute.
5. The garlic will drop into the water/oil solution but its flavor will permeate the potatoes, and this way, it won't burn.
6. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. When a nice golden-brown crust has formed on the potatoes, give them a stir to bring the white underside up, season lightly with a bit more sea salt and pepper and just a light sprinkling of oregano.
8. Add 1/2 cup more water if pan appears to be getting dry, and pop back into oven to brown other side of potatoes.
9. This will take about another 40 minutes.
10. Do not be afraid of overcooking the potatoes- they will be delicious.

[Jenise]

Sounds delicious, Karen. Would make an excellent vegetarian main course, too.

10. Do not be afraid of overcooking the potatoes- they will be delicious.

When I saw the part about cooking the potatoes at 440 for 80 minutes my first thought was that they would be burned to a crisp!

So obviously the water slows down the cooking? This is some amalgam of boiling/roasting? What is the texture like?

I love roasting potatoes (for the crisp texture and because they require little attention!) but am always looking for a new twist.

Rahsaan, this recipe came to me from a lady called Evelyn from Athens Greece. She is very popular and cooks some amazing things. I've had this recipe for a very long time and have made it numerous times. The potatoes come out crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. These are my husbands favorite. I do it a bit different than she suggests. I use medium size red potatoes and pick the same size potatoes. I cut them in half not in chunks. Just follow her instructions.
If you Google Eveyln/Athens, her website comes up on RecipeZarr. It is fun to read her recipes, I've followed her for a long time.

Rahsaan, this recipe came to me from a lady called Evelyn from Athens Greece. She is very popular and cooks some amazing things. I've had this recipe for a very long time and have made it numerous times. The potatoes come out crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. These are my husbands favorite. I do it a bit different than she suggests. I use medium size red potatoes and pick the same size potatoes. I cut them in half not in chunks. Just follow her instructions.
If you Google Eveyln/Athens, her website comes up on RecipeZarr. It is fun to read her recipes, I've followed her for a long time.

Ok, thanks. Maybe I'll try it this weekend.

I've done something like this a few times (though varying the seasonings quite often; I'm fond of also using rosemary or occasionally mixing in some cumin powder and Kashmiri chilli to give it a little kick), though ever tried baking for this length of time. Thanks for the recipe, will give this method a go soon.

Made this tonight and it was delicious. I was definitely nervous about cooking them for so long but the contrast between the crispy outside and the fluffy inside was very different from usual roasted potatoes. Thanks!

Made this tonight and it was delicious. I was definitely nervous about cooking them for so long but the contrast between the crispy outside and the fluffy inside was very different from usual roasted potatoes. Thanks!

Thanks for the comment and so happy it worked for you...one of our faves. I love the method.

I divided the recipe by 8 (a recipe for disaster, I know) and made it for myself for dinner tonight. I'll have to add water and probably increase the temperature a bit, because the potato (singular) stuck hard to my (NOT non-stick) pan, and dried out at both the 35 and 70 minute marks. (Yes, I did expect a smaller batch to cook quicker.)
It tasted good. I'll have to experiment .

John

I divided the recipe by 8 (a recipe for disaster, I know) and made it for myself for dinner tonight. I'll have to add water and probably increase the temperature a bit, because the potato (singular) stuck hard to my (NOT non-stick) pan, and dried out at both the 35 and 70 minute marks. (Yes, I did expect a smaller batch to cook quicker.)
It tasted good. I'll have to experiment .

John

That is why I said to follow the recipe making sure there is water. I think the non stick foil is great, and helps when you cannot get to the food in a timely manner.

I did use water, a couple of tablespoons for 1 potato instead of a cup for 8 potatoes, but it just wasn't enough for the cut-down recipe. I wasn't surprised; cutting down a recipe that much usually requires some adjustments. I try to follow the recipe proportions the first time, so I'll have a reference point for adjustment.
I'll be trying it again - it's always hard to hit the mark exactly when I cut down that much.

John [edited to get the recipe's amount of water]