Spring is coming, right? Surely?! While we have had sunny glimpses of it now and again, it’s still cold and blustery (40 mph wind gusts right now) for the most part and so you can’t go wrong with a bit of comfort food. – that’s how my lemon potatoes with dill sauce recipe has come about. They are easy to make and so comforting yet fresh at the same time, inspired by quintessentially Spring flavours of lemon and dill.
As soon as we are past the thick of winter, UK supermarket shelves are awash with various types of new potatoes and I can never walk passed them. Because I grew up in a country where temperature falls way beyond zero throughout winter months, new potatoes were such a delicacy in my house when they finally appeared on greengrocers’ shelves in late May or even early June. The season for new potatoes was so awaited and so short. Here, it seem to be the other way round, it seems to hardly ever be not a season for them – perhaps it’s modern agriculture, I’m not sure, all I know is that I love new potatoes and these lemon potatoes with dill sauce is a perfect dish for them too.
These lemon potatoes with dill sauce are inspired by Greek patates lemonates and partly by my gran’s new potatoes served with copious amount of dill, which I used to hate as a child. I took the original Greek method of making roasted lemon potatoes and twisted it a little. I reduced the amount of oil as I really don’t feel there is a need for half a cup of oil in a side. I also reduced the amount of lemon juice a touch and I still find it quite potent. I used thyme instead of dried oregano as the smell of fresh thyme growing all over the hills of the island I lived on reminds me of the time I lived in Greece. I also changed the method up a little by allowing the potatoes to roast in olive oil first before adding stock and lemon juice. The result is deliciously tender, lemon-flavoured potatoes with crispy bits here and there. So full of flavour. I hope you’ll enjoy them too.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
NEW POTATOES: the type of potatoes you’ll want for this recipe is new potato that is high in starch. In the UK, Maris Piper is the most popular variety of potato that fits the bill. Look for potatoes that are labelled as suitable for roasting. Starchy potatoes do best roasted, while waxy potatoes do best in salads. All purpose varieties claim to be suitable for both but for this dish, I recommend seeking out starchy variety. You want the potatoes to be small and similarly sized so that they cook and then roast at the same rate.
OLIVE OIL: I used extra virgin olive oil for this dish. I reduced the amount of oil used compared to more traditional Greek recipes, which would use at least double. You are welcome to override me if you are after a very indulgent side.
THYME: I used fresh thyme leaves to flavour the potatoes as I love the aroma of it and it’s easily available in the UK, but you could also just use dried herbs. One and a half to two teaspoons of dried oregano will work beautifully too.
GARLIC POWDER: I find that garlic powder is more suitable in this recipe as fresh minced garlic tends of burn and become bitter. If using fresh garlic, I recommend keeping the cloves whole, but crushed a little to release flavour.
LEMON JUICE: I used quarter of a cup (60 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice to give potatoes their zing and bright flavour. You can dial that amount down to three or even two tablespoons if you would rather just have a hint of lemon flavour, but original Greek recipes certainly do not shy away from making their potatoes very lemony indeed.
VEGGIE STOCK: If you don’t have veggie stock to hand, make a quick one by dissolving half a veggie stock cube in ½ cup / 120 ml of boiling water. I also like to add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast for more flavour, but that’s optional.
Scrub your potatoes clean, dry them well and then cut into same size pieces. I used new potatoes that are very similar size so I cut my potatoes in half and that works perfectly. If your potatoes are larger, cut them into three part or quarters, if very large.
Toss potatoes in olive oil, season with garlic, salt, pepper and fresh (or dried) herbs). Place seasoned potatoes in a deep metal baking tin – you want something big enough to allow you to spread the potatoes in a single layer comfortably. I used a tin that’s 34 cm / 13.5″ long, 24 cm / 9.5″ wide and 5 cm / 2″ deep to fit 800 g / 28 oz of potatoes. You want to avoid overcrowding the tin as this will minimise the amount of caramelisation you will get on your potatoes.
While the potatoes are baking, combine veggie stock with lemon juice. If you don’t have a veggie stock, create a quick stock by dissolving half a veggie stock cube in boiling water. I also like to add some nutritional yeast for extra flavour, but that’s not necessary.
After 20 minutes, remove potatoes from the oven and add lemon veggie stock. Stir it through the potatoes and continue roasting them for another 10 minutes – until cooked through and caramelised in places. If you want more caramelisation, place the tin under a grill / broiler for further 5-10 minutes to get more colour.
Place all of the dressing ingredients and a splash of water in a small blender or smoothie maker and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN I MAKE THIS DISH IN ADVANCE?
These potatoes are best made on the day so I wouldn’t recommend that, but the sauce can absolutely be made in advance and kept in a jar for up to 3 days or frozen. I freeze it in an ice-cube container and defrost a few cubes as necessary.
WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE WITH IT?
I turn these delicious lemon potatoes with dill sauce into a complete meal by serving it with pan-fried vegan sausages and steamed green beans.
LEMON POTATOES
- 800 g / 28 oz starchy potatoes* (see NOTES)
- 45 ml / 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, more if desired
- a handful of fresh thyme (or 1½ tsp dried oregano)
- 1 tsp salt flakes or ¾ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder or 3 fresh cloves*
- a generous grind of black pepper
- 45-60 ml / 3-4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup / 120 ml veggie stock*
DILL SAUCE
- 130 g / 1 cup cashews (or sunflower seeds), soaked*
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice, more to taste
- 1 tbsp capers
- ½ tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 10 g / 0.35 oz fresh dill, fronds picked
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat up the oven to 200° C / 390° F with fan function on and grab a deep metal baking tin – mine is 34 cm / 13.5″ long, 24 cm / 9.5″ wide and 5 cm / 2″ deep. You want a tray that is big enough to hold all of the potatoes in a single layer, without overcrowding the tin.
- Scrub your potatoes clean, dry them well and cut into same size pieces. If using small new potatoes like me cut them all in half, otherwise you may need to cut them into 3 or even 4 segments.
- In a large mixing bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, picked thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and mix them until well coated.
- Transfer potatoes to the baking tin and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are baking combine lemon juice and veggie stock. Use 4 tbsp of veggie stock for an assertive lemon flavour, 3 or even 2 for just a hint. Next, make the dill sauce.
- Remove potatoes from the oven, add lemon veggie stock to the pan and coat the potatoes well. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Give potatoes a good stir again and continue for another 10 minutes. At the end of that time, most of the liquid should get absorbed by the potatoes and they should be completely cooked through and caramelised in places.
- If you want to caramelise them even more, place them under a hot grill (broiler) for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy hot, I like to turn them into a complete meal by serving them with dill sauce, pan-fried vegan sausages and steamed green beans.
DILL DRESSING
- Place drained cashews (or sunflower seeds) in a small blender alongside all other ingredients. Add just enough water to be able to blend the mixture super smooth – I added about 100 ml (7 tbsp) of water. Add a dash more water of you want the dressing thinner.
- Taste and season to taste. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to 2-3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
*GARLIC: I find that garlic powder is more suitable in this recipe as fresh minced garlic tends of burn and become bitter. If using fresh garlic, I recommend keeping the cloves whole, but crushed a little to release flavour.
*VEGGIE STOCK: If you don’t have veggie stock to hand, make a quick one by dissolving half a veggie stock cube in ½ cup / 120 ml of boiling water. I also like to add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast for more flavour, but that’s optional.
*CASHEWS/SUNFLOWER SEEDS: Soak them in boiling water to soften for at least 20 minutes or in cold water for several hours. Alternatively use 1½ cups of thick vegan yoghurt with neutral flavour (instead of cashews/sunflower seeds) and no water.