Friday, July 12, 2013

Grilled Rosemary Garlic Potato Pouches

Cooking has always been kind of my thing.  It is undoubtedly one of my very first loves and my very first hobby. Ever since I was old enough to stand on a chair in front of the stove, alongside my mom, I have adored cooking.  For me, food symbolizes family, togetherness, holidays and good times.  Some of my best memories as a child were centered around family meals and the memories continue to be made at the kitchen table every day to with my own family.  

Experimenting with different ingredients, spices and proteins has always appealed to my secret inner chef.  When a meal comes together and somehow turns into something deliciously delectable, it's a magical thing.  Watching someone's eyes roll back in their head ever so slightly, and hearing them make that yummy growling sound deep in their throat when they take the first bite of something I created, well that is just about the best feeling in the world.

So let's kick off this party with a recipe!  It's summertime and my absolute favorite way to cook during these hot, sticky days is on the grill.  I live for my grill.  The very last thing I want to do is slave over a hot stove in my stuffy kitchen while the rest of my family is outside enjoying the long, warm summer nights.  So pretty much every summer night, I attempt to nourish my family with a meal made entirely on the grill.

I'm a meat and potato kind of girl and this one of my favorite accompaniments to a good old fashioned steak.



Grilled Rosemary Garlic Potato Pouches

Serves 4. Prep 8 minutes, Cook Time 20 minutes

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. Small Fingerling Potatoes
2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary, removed from stem and roughly chopped
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/8 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tbsp. Salted Butter
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Kosher Salt, to taste
Aluminum Foil

1.  Preheat grill to high heat and close the cover.  Wash potatoes thoroughly and remove any eyes.  Set aside to dry.  It's ok if they're a little damp, the moisture will turn to steam and help the potatoes cook all the way through.


 
2.  Combine all the ingredients except for butter and foil (duh...) in a large mixing bowl.  Mix together to combine and coat the potatoes. Go ahead a have a taste of the dressing.  Feel free to over salt and pepper the dressing because the taste won't be as potent once its served with the mild potatoes.  If it tastes too salty or peppery, that's good!  It mean you've seasoned well.
 



5.  Tear off 4 separate- 1 sq. ft. pieces of aluminum foil for the pouches.  Add potatoes and dressing to the center, in 4 equal parts, to each piece of foil.  If there is dressing left in the bottom of the bowl, drizzle it equally over potatoes. Salt and pepper again, if desired.  Place 1 tbsp. of butter on top of potatoes and fold aluminum foil to form a sealed pouch.

 

6.  Place pouches on upper rack of grill, turning them occasionally.  If you don't have an upper rack on your grill, you can place them directly on a medium/high grill. Use tongs to turn the pouches, being careful not to pierce the foil and let all the garlicky, rosemary-ish goodness escape from your pouches.

 

7.  The potatoes need approximately 20 minutes to cook through, depending on their size.  In the meantime, while they're hanging out on your upper rack, go ahead and grill whatever else you're planning for dinner that evening.

8. After about 15 minutes move the pouches to the lower portion of your grill directly over the flames. Turn at least once during the remaining 5 minutes.

9.  They're ready!!  Open the pouches (carefully! they will be super hot and steamy!).  You can get fancy and pour them into a bowl, or you can eat them like we do - like savages, right out of the foil.  
Serve immediately, because these are ahh-mazing steamin' right off the grill.


 
Variations:  If fingerling/mini potatoes aren't available in your local grocery store, don't despair!  You can use Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes successfully in this dish.  Dice them in approximately 3/4 in. cubes with skins on and prepare them as directed.  To go a little lighter on this recipe, skip the butter and add a splash more olive oil to the mix.

Get creative!  You can use any combination of herbs and spices, add a little heat with some diced jalapeños, add cheese and chopped bacon, the possibilities are endless.  Try something different and let me know how your variation turned out!  

xoxo Kristen
 

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