Traditional Greek home-style dish
This is one of those quietly comforting dishes that belong to everyday Greek home cooking — simple, unpretentious, and deeply familiar. Chicken gently cooked with potatoes in a pot sits somewhere between routine and memory, a dish that appears regularly on the family table and remains associated with warmth, care, and home.
The potato, although now an essential ingredient in Greek cuisine, arrived relatively late at the Greek table. Over time, it became fully integrated into local cooking, and in Crete it found particularly favourable conditions on the Lassithi Plateau. The plateau is well known for the production of many vegetables, but it is also remembered for its distinctive landscape in the previous century, when it was covered with windmills — a remarkable example of the early, systematic use of wind energy for irrigation and agricultural life.
In this dish, the potato is not a simple accompaniment. Cooked slowly together with chicken, tomato, olive oil and onion, it absorbs flavour and gives substance to the meal. Nothing is excessive, nothing is decorative. The simplicity of the ingredients allows their quality to come forward, reflecting a way of cooking that values patience, balance, and economy.
It is food meant to be cooked in a single pot and shared without ceremony — a dish that mirrors the rhythm of everyday life and the quiet confidence of traditional Greek home cooking.
Ingredients
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1 young chicken (about 1.5 kg / 3–3.3 lb), cut into portions
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1 kg (about 2.2 lb) potatoes
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1 deep dish of grated tomato (fresh or canned)
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1 large onion, finely chopped
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½ cup olive oil
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Place the chicken pieces in a bowl of water with about half a cup of vinegar and leave for approximately 30 minutes.
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In a wide pot or casserole, heat the olive oil and gently sauté the chopped onion until soft.
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Add the chicken pieces, season lightly with salt, and turn them until they are lightly browned on all sides.
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Add about one cup of water, cover the pot and let the chicken simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until partially cooked.
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Add the potatoes, cut into large pieces, along with the grated tomato. Season with salt and pepper and add a little more water if needed.
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Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced.
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Remove from the heat and let the dish rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
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The recipe reflects a very traditional, ingredient-driven approach: when good potatoes are used (especially those from the Lassithi Plateau), no extra spices are needed for great flavor.
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Some cooks may deglaze the chicken with wine instead of vinegar after browning, though the author prefers the vinegar method to let the natural aroma of tomato prevail.
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The same technique works well with other meats — such as goat — though cooking times vary significantly.
Enjoy With
Serve this hearty casserole alongside fresh rustic bread to soak up the sauce, and pair it with a simple green salad or sautéed greens for a complete Mediterranean meal.
Original Greek article with photographs and full narrative
CretanGastronomy:
https://www.cretangastronomy.gr/2010/11/kotopoulo-patates-katsarola/
