We’ve had a number of beautiful spring days over the past week, and it motivated me to clean our outdoor grill. I’m fortunate to have an indoor grill in my range-top, allowing me to grill year-round. However, I’m limited to lean meats and vegetables inside. Big meat causes big smoke, not pleasant. I know you grill masters out there don’t think twice about BBQ’ing in the snow. Not me, I wait until spring. So after giving the BBQ a good scrub, I dusted off some of my favorite grilling cookbooks and decided to leaf through this book from Bobby Flay to find a new side dish.
Bobby’s recipes are always flavorful and exciting. Lots of fresh herbs and char make for a good meal. His recipes can seem complicated at times. Many sauces and relishes, using blenders and food processors… but I say attack these recipes with enthusiasm and determination. Everything I’ve made of Bobby’s has proven well worth the extra dishes and time. Nothing complicated with these potatoes, just lots of steps needed to get them on the dinner table. Now that I made them once, the next time they will seem much less laborious. And I should emphasize I will definitely be making this again. These are some kick ass potatoes that I promise everyone will flip over.
INGREDIENTS
- 5 large red potatoes, scrubbed under cold water
- 1/4 cup balsamic dressing
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little to brush on the potatoes
- Kosher salt & pepper (for the dressing & potatoes)
- About 6oz plain goat cheese (a small package), thinly sliced
- Fresh chives, chopped
Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until fork tender, but still a bit firm. Timing will depend on the size of your potatoes. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool.
Place the vinegar, garlic, mustard, basil and olive oil in a food processor to make the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Set your grill to medium-high heat. Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. You can discard the end slices. Brush each side of the potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Carefully grill the potatoes until slightly charred and golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Bobby said 2 minutes per side, it took a bit longer for mine. Keep a close eye on them.
Remove the potatoes from the grill onto a sheet pan. To make the Napoleons, stack the potato slices and the sliced goat cheese. My stacks included three potatoes slices and 2 cheese layers (see pictures). Place the stacks back on the sheet pan or onto an oven safe platter. Place in the preheated oven for just a couple of minutes until the cheese is soft and melty.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little dressing over each stack and a sprinkle of chopped chives. Voila! Seriously the best potatoes I’ve had in a long time.
Enjoy!
* Keep your goat cheese log in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. To make even slices without crumbling the cheese, use unflavored, unwaxed dental floss. It slices the cheese perfectly.
4plates2table 