Give Lemon Potatoes A Burst With Flavor With Mustard

A dish of lemon potatoes is traditionally a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, broth, herbs, and spices. Every family and Greek eatery likely has their own recipe that uses a variation of different potatoes or seasoning blends. Out of many possible ingredient additions, there's one that will give any version of lemon potatoes a burst of flavor: A squirt of mustard.

The inclusion of this tangy condiment might surprise you, but it's actually an ingredient that's used in many different recipes for lemon potatoes. Mustard will give the starchy dish a sharp and tangy flavor and mild spice that complements the acidity of the lemon juice. There are also many different types of mustard that you can experiment with for varying flavors and spice levels.

You can add this ingredient to any version of the classic dish or try it with our recipe for Greek lemon potatoes created by Tasting Table recipe developer Kate Shungu. It uses red potatoes with lemon juice, olive oil, chicken broth, and dried oregano, but a bit of mustard can easily be added to the recipe.

Different mustards offer varying flavors

There are many varieties of mustard that you can add to your lemon potatoes. Yellow mustard is probably already in your fridge, so add that to your next potato dish to give it a mild tang. For a more intense flavor, use Dijon mustard for a pungent kick. Spicy brown mustard is a good option if you want deeper spice and flavor in the potatoes, while whole grain mustard will give the dish more texture.

Or, for more sweetness, go with honey mustard. You can also mix different mustards together to create more balanced flavors and spice levels. No matter what type you go with for your lemon potatoes, taste it as you mix the ingredients and add more as needed. If you're using yellow mustard, ¼ cup of the condiment is sufficient for about every 2 pounds of potatoes. 

If Dijon or spicy brown mustard is your preference, a little will go a long way — you don't want to overdo it. You might only need 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard for every 2 pounds of potatoes. For this technique, you can't just dip the lemon potatoes in mustard. Instead, combine the mustard with the lemon juice, olive oil, broth, and other ingredients to make a sauce, then toss the potatoes in the mixture before cooking them according to the recipe.