6/22/11

Grilled Potato Salad


Things I'm a sucker for:

1. Dollar Tree. Yes, that's Dollar Tree as in, the dollar store. Don't judge. I dare you to go in there and not find something that you can use in your house. And about 5 other things you can't use but feel compelled to buy because they are only a dollar.

2. Atomic FireBalls. I can't eat any remotely spicy food, yet I've built up a tolerance to eat these hot jawbreakers. I even had them at my wedding. No lie. 

3. The Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons. For some reason, I can't let these go unused. It's like they summon me to the store and make me buy something.

4. 80s rock ballads. Tell me you don't sing along with "More Than A Feeling", too.

5. Grilling food that isn't normally cooked on a grill. (If you couldn't have already guessed from the grilled angel food cake.) I don't know if I see it as a challenge or I just love the taste of grilled food (probably a little of both) but I love trying different foods on the grill. Some experiments work really well, and others are chalked up to learning experiences. 

Grilled potato salad is what I would call a successful experiment. So successful that I'm not only going to share a grilled potato salad today, but on Friday as well. I love the flavor that potatoes get from cooking on a grill. Slightly smoky and lightly charred, they make boiled potatoes seem bland and boring. This recipe has you partially pre-cook the potatoes so that you can leave them in planks and still have them cook through without burning. 


This is a win if you've ever tried grilling about 50 little things at once. Something is bound to get burnt when I try doing that. Cooking the onions and bell peppers on the grill helps give the same smoky flavor to those ingredients as well. I was unsure about the capers at first, but they give the salad a nice, salty flavor. This salad is best served warm or at room temperature. Don't serve it cold as I may or may not have done last weekend. The potatoes will get hard and the salad will lose a lot of its flavor, and your brother may or may not ask you if the salad came from cleaning out your garbage disposal. Remind me again why I'm going to miss him when they move? 


Grilled Potato Salad

3tablespoons white wine vinegar
2cloves  garlic, minced
Ground black pepper 
9tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2pounds medium red potatoes, scrubbed (Look for ones about 3-4 inches in diameter.) 
1large red onion 
1large red bell pepper (I like to use a mix of mini colored peppers)
Table Salt
3tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
3tablespoons chopped fresh parsley  

Directions:

1. Whisk vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 6 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing and set aside for finishing salad.

2. Slice potatoes into 3/4-inch planks, unpeeled onion into 1/2-inch rounds, and bell pepper according to photos. Bring potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until edges of potatoes begin to soften but centers are still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes thoroughly in colander, transfer to medium bowl, and toss with 2 more tablespoons oil. Toss onion and pepper with remaining tablespoon oil in separate bowl. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Grill vegetables, uncovered, over moderate fire until well charred on both sides, 5 to 10 minutes per side (onions and peppers will take less time than potatoes). Remove vegetables from grill. Using tongs, remove skin from onions. Cut onions and peppers into 3/4-inch pieces and potatoes into quarters.

4. Toss grilled vegetables with dressing (not 1/4 cup reserved dressing). Toss in capers and cool salad to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Just before serving, toss with remaining 1/4 cup dressing and parsley. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Recipe Source: Cook's Country

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