Servings: 4
Source: Fine Cooking 7/2000 pg 47
By par-cooking your potatoes before they go on the grill, they’ll have a soft, almost cakey texture on the inside when they’re done, but they’ll still have that terrific grilled flavor. However you choose to season the potatoes (see the sidebar at left), be sure to include some kind of fat and salt. Serves four as a side dish.
Ingredients
1 lb potatoes
Your choice of seasonings (see below)
Directions
Wash and cut the potatoes. I like to cut red- and yellow-skinned potatoes into 3/8-inch slices, as they par-cook a little more evenly, but wedges or quarters certainly work too. For Idaho “”fries,”” cut small Idahoes into six wedges, lengthwise. Cover the potatoes with cold water and 1 Tbsp salt per pound of potatoes in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer (you don’t want them to break up), and cook until they’re almost but not quite fully cooked, 4 to 6 min.
The potatoes will still be a little hard in the center, but the outer edges will look opaque. Drain in a large colander and rinse with cold water until they’re cool; handle them gently. Spread them out on clean dishtowels and let them sit at room temperature (for up to an hour) until you’re ready to grill them.
Light a charcoal grill and allow the fire to reach a medium-hot temperature (the top of the coals should be 5 to 6 inches from the grill grate, and you’ll be able to hold your hand over the fire for no more than 3 to 4 seconds when it’s medium hot).
Alternatively, heat the entire surface of a gas grill until it reaches medium hot. Toss the potato pieces with the desired seasoning, making sure that all the pieces are coated well. Put the potatoes, cut side down, on the grill grate in one layer, directly over the coals. Cook for 3 to 6 min. or just until deep golden brown and crisp. With tongs, turn the pieces over (to the other side, if you’re using slices, to the other cut side if you’re using wedges, and to the skin side if you’re using halves). Cook until that side is deep golden brown and crisp, another 3 to 6 min. Remove and serve immediately.
Seasoning potatoes for the grill
Use the seasoning mixes below to flavor 1 pound of potatoes before they go on the grill (12 to 14 baby potatoes, 6 medium red- or yellow-skinned potatoes, 2 large red- or yellow-skinned potatoes, or 2 small ldahoes make a pound). Cut baby potatoes in half, others into 3/8-inch slices or wedges or quarters. If par-cooking potatoes (see technique #1, p. 45), season them after simmering and cooling but before they go on the grill.
Extra-Virgin Olive oil & Fresh Herbs: Toss the potatoes with enough olive oil to coat well (2 to 3 Tbs.) and season with coarse salt, freshly ground pepper or a few hot red pepper flakes, and 2 to 3 tsp chopped hardy herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, or sage.
Mustard, Mayonnaise, & Herbs: Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary. Coat the potatoes with this mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Mustard & Olive Oil. Combine 3 Tbsp olive oil with 1 ‘/2 Tbsp savory mustard and toss together with potatoes. Or replace the mustard with 1 Tbsp black olive tapenade or sun-dried-tomato pesto. Season well with salt and pepper.
Spicy “”Dipping”” Oil: Dip small potato halves or wedges in hot chile oil (use about ‘/4 cup) and then into a combination of fine sea salt and sugar (about 1 1/2 tsp each).
Dry Spice Rub: Coat the potatoes well with 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil and then sprinkle your favorite dried spice rub over all the cut edges. Be sure to include a lot of salt in the spice rub. A good rub recipe: combine about 1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, allspice, freshly ground black pepper, and dried thyme with about 1 1/2 tsp salt and a little sugar, if you like.