serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
There is something about the slick, crinkled skin, garlic-infused red wine tannins, and musky sage and rosemary that renders these potatoes irresistible. This also happens to be one of the easiest ways to prepare great potatoes with no muss, no fuss, and no hot oven, with results that coming strikingly close to the best “roasted” potatoes you’ve ever had. These are a frequent dish on my Greek table!
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin Greek olive oil
1 pound (450 g) fingerling potatoes, preferably organic, scrubbed
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 garlic cloves, cut into paper-thin slivers
2 teaspoons whole dried sage leaves
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, broken into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
⅔ cup (160 ml) Greek xinomavro or other dry, tannic red wine
In a large deep skillet or wide pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the potatoes steam in the olive oil for 5 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and shake the potatoes a few times back and forth over the heat. Cook for 5 minutes more, then add the garlic, sage, and rosemary. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, shaking the pan back and forth a few times to keep the potatoes from burning. Pour in the wine, cover, and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.