By October 2025. Fall in Memphis, and I am 66, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.
Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew. Trey at the smoker, learning, absorbing, his hands getting steadier each visit, the fire recognizing him the way fire recognizes those who are meant to tend it.
Smoked turkey wings this week — big, meaty, brined and rubbed and smoked at 275 for three hours until the skin crackled and the meat pulled clean. Turkey wings are the working class of BBQ: cheap, underrated, and transformed by smoke into something extraordinary. Uncle Clyde served them on Fridays at his stand, and I serve them on Saturdays in my backyard, and the tradition bridges the gap between then and now.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
After a Saturday like that one — Trey at the smoker, the grandchildren filling the yard, turkey wings coming off the grate with that crackled skin that makes the whole neighborhood stop walking — you need a side dish that doesn’t ask much of you but delivers every single time. I’ve been roasting potatoes in a hot oven the way my mother used to, and somewhere along the way I picked up the Greek method: lemon, garlic, oregano, and a pan full of fat that crisps the edges golden. It’s the kind of recipe you teach without even meaning to, the way Trey learns the fire just by standing next to it.
Crispy Greek Oven Roasted Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Season the potatoes. In a large bowl, combine the potato wedges with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss well until every wedge is coated.
- Arrange and add broth. Spread the potatoes in a single layer in the prepared pan. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan — this steams the potatoes from underneath as they roast, keeping the interior tender.
- Roast the first round. Roast uncovered for 40 minutes, turning the potatoes once halfway through, until the broth has mostly absorbed and the bottoms begin to color.
- Crisp the edges. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and continue roasting for an additional 15–20 minutes, turning once more, until the potatoes are deeply golden and crispy on the edges.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve hot alongside smoked meats or any main you’re proud of.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 390mg