Burnt Is Better
Leaving garlic in your sauté pan or bread in your toaster a little too long often leads to inedible results. And as hard as you try to scrape off the layer of black from all sides of the toast, you are usually left with something that ends up not in your stomach but in the trash. The same is not true of grilling vegetables. Burnt is definitely better.
Maybe not completely burnt, but cooked very well done with blackened edges is something I actually try to achieve with vegetables. My all-time favorite overly done grilled veggie is the red potato.
As with many veggies, preparation is simple and the only real requirement is a little olive oil to help achieve the crispy browned exterior. You can add salt, pepper, garlic, and onion if you like, but the long cook time of the potatoes brings out a great flavor that makes the other ingredients optional.
I’ve included all of the optional ingredients in the recipe below, but my potatoes (pictured here) were made with only oil, salt, and pepper and then served with other grilled veggies on the side.
Grilled Red Potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil sufficient for coating the foil and drizzling on the potatoes
8-10 baby red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
•Stack 2 approximately 2-foot-long pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other.
•Spread a layer of olive oil in the center and top with the potatoes, onions, and garlic. Season with the salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil until lightly coated.
•Fold over the aluminum foil to create a packet. Double fold the edges to ensure that the potatoes stay sealed.
•Cook on a grill for 20 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the potatoes are crispy on the outside.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
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