Forked Lemon Potatoes

There are plenty of delicious things to be done with a new potato. If you haven’t tried forking them yet, you must – cooked new potatoes are squished with a fork (or use your hand) to flatten them, then cooked in a hot pan until golden and crispy-edged. The quick lemony vinaigrette elevates them to a whole new level that’s perfect for summer supping. This is what I would make if I lived in a French farmhouse or Italian villa, and serve them outside on one of those long rustic tables that instantly make you think of Martha Stewart or Pinterest. With plenty of wine, natch.

Either that or I’d serve them for dinner with pan-fried fish and sliced cucumbers on the living room floor to a little boy who needs a bath after cleaning up his Lego and picking up his socks.

Forked Lemon Potatoes

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

1 1/2-2 lb. new or fingerling potatoes
olive or canola oil, for cooking
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Dressing
3 Tbsp. olive oil
zest and juice of a lemon
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1

Put the potatoes into a medium-large saucepan and add enough water to cover them by a couple inches. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain them well, then spread out on a baking sheet. Press down on each gently with the back of a fork to flatten each potato.

2

In a large, heavy skillet, heat a generous drizzle (a few tablespoons) of oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the potatoes in batches, without crowding the pan, and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip with a thin spatula and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until golden on the other side.

3

In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme, salt and pepper.

4

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and serve.

Category

Ingredients

 1 1/2-2 lb. new or fingerling potatoes
 olive or canola oil, for cooking
 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Dressing
 3 Tbsp. olive oil
 zest and juice of a lemon
 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
 salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1

Put the potatoes into a medium-large saucepan and add enough water to cover them by a couple inches. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain them well, then spread out on a baking sheet. Press down on each gently with the back of a fork to flatten each potato.

2

In a large, heavy skillet, heat a generous drizzle (a few tablespoons) of oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the potatoes in batches, without crowding the pan, and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip with a thin spatula and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until golden on the other side.

3

In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme, salt and pepper.

4

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and serve.

Forked Lemon Potatoes
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25 comments on “Forked Lemon Potatoes

  1. Jaya
    July 25, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Julie, these look sooo good! I just picked up lemon thyme from the market and I think these potatoes would be a perfect vehicle for it!

  2. Laurel
    July 25, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    Wow, that sounds so good right now! The perfect comfort food. If I make these for my sister she’s going to want them every night for the rest of her life!

  3. GF Patisserie
    July 26, 2012 at 12:31 am

    A nice simple way of eating fresh potatoes. Like the wine part, as we got plenty of it here in France.

  4. shep
    July 26, 2012 at 8:42 am

    look wonderful-but do not think I can discard the garlic! But will take out so as not to burn

  5. Jan @ Family Bites
    July 26, 2012 at 9:46 am

    I love this! You said so much by actually writing very little. And the potatoes look super yummy.

  6. Helene
    July 26, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    I’ve never tried it but these look like something my family would love. Thanks!

  7. Rod
    July 26, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    Who’s natch?

  8. Vincci
    July 26, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Mama T. makes forked potatoes all the time! I always questioned her methods, but now I realize other people do it too, so it’s ok 😉

    She likes to top hers with baked potato toppings – sour cream, chives, bacon bits.

  9. Terri
    July 26, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    Julie, those look incredible. Making them tomorrow night. xo Terri

  10. Rose {Cake Recipes from Scratch}
    July 28, 2012 at 4:16 am

    This is actually the first time I hear about this recipe… however I must say that your forked lemon potatoes look so appetizing. I am dying to taste it. 🙂

  11. Cathy @ Noble Pig
    July 28, 2012 at 8:17 am

    I’ve done with salt and vinegar for potatoes but lemon sounds delicious!!

  12. Jodi
    July 28, 2012 at 10:50 am

    I made these last night and they are sooooo good. I used fresh new potatoes from the market and did not have thyme so used fresh oregano – yummy

  13. Misty
    July 28, 2012 at 11:17 am

    Mmmmm, two of my favorites lemon and potatoes!

  14. CathyH
    July 28, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    I made these last night, but when I squished the potatoes, they crunbled. Did I cook them too long??

  15. Jen
    July 29, 2012 at 8:07 am

    Oh my gosh it’s barely 7 on a Sunday morning, and now you have me craving lemon potatoes….thanks, no I really mean that, lol.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

  16. jeri
    July 30, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    I would never have thought to pair lemon with potatoes but it sounds delicious. And even with the frying, this has to be healthier than my usual parsley and way too much butter.

  17. BettyC
    July 30, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    I made these for dinner last night and they were quite yummy!
    to CathyH – some of mine crumbled as well – I think it might have something to do with the type of potato. I found the smaller ones didn’t crumble as badly.

  18. Anonymous
    July 31, 2012 at 8:14 am

    I made these for dinner on Saturday night alongside a BBQd chicken, sauteed green beans, and sliced garden tomatoes and cucumbers in vinegar. Perfect summer meal! My potatoes did not flatten nicely but rather fell apart but I carried on and they were still delicious. The lemon-thyme dressing was so good!

  19. Lana
    July 31, 2012 at 8:14 am

    I made these for dinner on Saturday night alongside a BBQd chicken, sauteed green beans, and sliced garden tomatoes and cucumbers in vinegar. Perfect summer meal! My potatoes did not flatten nicely but rather fell apart but I carried on and they were still delicious. The lemon-thyme dressing was so good!

  20. Maureen
    August 2, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    My friend made these twice last week while we were free-loading at her cabin. First as an experiment and two days later because we were still talking about how good they were. So simple. So delicious.

  21. OrGreenic
    August 10, 2012 at 1:30 pm

    Great idea for a summer side dish. It seems like these are quite a treat.

  22. albertocook
    September 30, 2012 at 6:17 pm

    Hi, I’m Alberto from Italy.
    Do you have a beautifull blog with many originals italian recipes.
    I’m start a blog where i write the original italian dish of my family.
    If you wont take some recipes you can take is a honor for me.
    I LOVE CANADA
    I WOULD LIKE TO COME TO LIVE IN CANADA
    http://www.realitalindish.wordpress.com
    Bye from Italy

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