- Tina Fey makes crispy, lemony Greek-style potatoes with Ina Garten.
- The two share laughs, career stories, and breakfast panna cotta.
- Their easy, flavorful meal is “Jeffrey-approved” and full of heart.
If you haven’t yet watched the season seven premiere of Ina Garten’s show Be My Guest, you might want to make time for it. Her first guest was none other than comedian and actress Tina Fey, and the duo discussed all things comedy and career, then teamed up in the kitchen to create a mouthwatering meal that Ina calls “Jeffrey-approved.”
Since Tina is a fan of old-fashioned custards, Ina welcomed her to the barn with a breakfast panna cotta that she whipped up the night before. She flavored it with vanilla bean and a splash of maple syrup for classic breakfast vibes, then topped it with fresh berries and granola right before Tina walked through the door.
The two wasted no time jumping right into a conversation about some of Tina’s most hilarious and heartfelt moments, including the time she had to repeatedly eat her way through a quickly decaying cocktail tower while filming an episode of 30 Rock, her early-career failures and financial struggles, working with her best and equally hysterical friend, Amy Poehler, and what it was like growing up in a Greek household. They also chatted about the importance of finding friends with a good sense of humor.
While Tina may be known for her improv skills and has said that her husband, Jeff, is the cook in the family, she wowed Ina with her recipe for Greek-style potatoes. Not only do they look absolutely delicious, but they couldn’t be easier to make.
They started by cutting peeled russet potatoes into hefty wedges that Ina jokingly called “delicate” before adding them to a roasting pan and tossing them in a blend of chicken broth, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, ground pepper, chopped garlic and dried oregano. Ina stepped in to rub the oregano between her palms, explaining how that small step helps bring out big flavor
Once Tina slid the pan into a 450°F oven, she watched as Ina made chicken thighs with mustard sauce—a dish that turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to Tina’s roasted potatoes (and just as quick and easy).
Thanks to TV magic, Tina’s potatoes emerged from the oven in what felt like the blink of an eye—crispy, golden and infused with the lemon juice. The comedian did, however, note to flip them halfway through the actual 50-minute cook time to enjoy crispy edges on all sides. She then topped them with sliced lemons and chopped, fresh parsley, putting a smile on Ina’s face when she said, “I learned that move from you. You want to show what it’s going to taste like.”
When plating the potatoes, Tina joked that a serving was 14 potatoes, but then said she would instead serve three to sync with what’s known in comedy as the “rule of threes”—a technique that presents a joke or gag in a sequence of three to make the punchline more effective.
Tina closed the episode out with her own punchline when tasting Ina’s chicken, calling it “disgusting.” Ina’s hearty laugh in response proved that these two might just have the compatible senses of humor needed to be longtime pals. We’re just hoping we get a lunch invite at some point!
