025Hand-cut fried potatoes

Method

Traditional olive-oil fried potatoes. Serve straight from the pan alongside grilled meats, fish, or fried eggs.

You will need

• heavy frying pan or deep skillet
• slotted spoon
• clean kitchen towels
• kitchen paper

1. Place the cut potato batons in a large bowl of cold water for 15 minutes to wash away excess surface starch. 15 min Ready when: water turns cloudy with starch
2. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and spread them onto clean kitchen towels, patting them until completely dry. 5 min Ready when: surface of the potato is entirely dry to the touch
3. Pour the olive oil into a deep heavy-based frying pan or wide casserole until it reaches a depth of about 2.5 cm, then heat over medium-high heat to 170°C. 6 min · 170°C / 340°F Ready when: a dropped potato slice sizzles immediately without smoking
4. Add half the potatoes carefully to avoid overcrowding the oil, frying steadily until tender on the inside and lightly golden on the edges. 9 min · 170°C / 340°F Ready when: pale golden and pierces easily with a fork
5. Transfer the first batch with a slotted spoon to a tray lined with paper towels, then fry the remaining potatoes in the same manner. 9 min · 170°C / 340°F Ready when: edges turn crisp and amber
6. Tip all the hot potatoes into a warm bowl, season immediately with sea salt and rub dried oregano between your palms over the top before tossing gently. 1 min Ready when: steam rises and fragrant oregano aroma releases

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Make ahead and storing

Potatoes can be cut and kept submerged in cold water up to 4 hours in advance.

Best eaten immediately; does not refrigerate or reheat well without losing crispness.

Substitutions

• sunflower oil blended with olive oil for olive oil for frying. Allows a higher smoke point if full olive oil flavour is considered too robust.

Common mistakes

• Frying damp potatoes. Excess moisture drops the oil temperature rapidly and causes dangerous splattering while yielding soggy, limp chips.
• Overcrowding the frying pan. Too many potatoes at once lowers the oil temperature and steams the potatoes rather than crisping them.

Regional variants

• Naxian style, using PDO Naxos potatoes prized for their high starch and sweetness
• Taverna style, fried in a shallow pan and tossed with a splash of fresh lemon juice at the end

About the dish

Fried potatoes entered Greek cookery during the nineteenth century alongside the spread of the potato after Greek independence, famously promoted by Ioannis Kapodistrias. While modern commercial diners often rely on neutral oils, the foundational domestic and taverna tradition has always been frying hand-chipped tubers in pure olive oil. Served piping hot straight from the pan, scattered with coarse salt and dried wild oregano, they form the bedrock of taverna culture across the mainland and the islands.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, summer, sunday lunch.

Cousins elsewhere

• Pommes frites (French). Greek fries are traditionally fried in olive oil and cut into thicker, softer wedges or batons rather than thin matchsticks.
• Patatas fritas (Spanish). Both traditions rely on frying quality potatoes in generous extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

1209 kcal · protein 5 g · fat 115.3 g (saturated 15.9 g) · carbohydrate 43.8 g (sugars 2 g) · fibre 5.5 g · sodium 889 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following standard taverna and home practice of shallow-to-medium olive-oil frying with a single steady pass..

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