Meat-Free Dish for Patates Yahni: A Heartwarming Greek Classic

Globally, everyday chefs often find themselves transform a basic purchase of potatoes into a hearty evening meal. My personal culinary journey often involve a aromatic Sri Lankan potato curry, a savory Gujarati version, or even a patiently simmered Spanish tortilla for a special occasion. On this occasion, however, inspiration comes from Greece. Yahni refers to a classic Greek culinary style: vegetables slow-cooked amply in olive oil and tomatoes until perfectly tender. It’s not just a dish—it’s a endorsement of the unfussy, the slow, and the truly delicious (and yes, it doubles as a wonderful dinner).

Greek Braised Potatoes

Enjoy this with warm bread or grilled bread for a complete main. It also goes perfectly with a selection of mezze or even served alongside a sunny-side-up egg for a unexpectedly great breakfast.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people

What's Required

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• Fine sea salt
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1kg desiree potatoes (or other waxy variety), cut into 2½cm wedges
• 2 tsp dried oregano, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 x 400g tins of finely chopped tomatoes
• 150g feta cheese
• 75g Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon, finely zested, plus 1 tbsp of juice
• 80g pitted kalamata olives

Directions

Sautéing the Aromatics

Pour five tablespoons of olive oil in a capacious casserole dish that has a cover. Set it over a moderately high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion slices and a teaspoon of salt. Cook, giving it an occasional stir, for about 10 minutes, until the onion is yielding enough to succumb to a wooden spoon.

Step Two

Add the minced garlic and cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly. Then, incorporate the potato wedges and oregano, stirring until they are nicely glossed in the oil. Spoon in the tomato puree and cook for one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes along with 400ml of water. Let it come to a boil, then put the lid on, lower the heat to a low simmer, and leave to cook for 20 minutes.

3. The Whipped Feta

Meanwhile, prepare the whipped feta. In a blender, blitz the feta, Greek yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, three tablespoons of olive oil, and a generous amount of salt until the mixture is luxuriously creamy.

Step Four

Stir the pitted kalamata olives into the potato stew. Let it cook uncovered for a further 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife and the sauce has thickened nicely.

Plating Up

Ladle the warm yahni into pasta bowls. Top each with a liberal amount of the whipped feta and a light sprinkling of dried oregano.

This dish is a tribute to the magic of basic produce transformed by time and care. Share!