Potato Bombs

My apologies if you just got excited that I was going to show you how to blow up potatoes, although that would be undoubtedly cool, and if anyone knows how to do that, please let me know before July 4. This is actually a recipe for grilling that I have been doing for so long that I can't even remember if we thought of it ourselves, or read how to do it somewhere. It is one of those recipes that isn't really a recipe - just guidelines on how to make your own creation. It's an insanely easy way to make a side dish for summer barbecues. Just make sure to plan ahead a little, because they take longer to cook than most grilled foods.

Potato Bombs

Per packet:
2 cups diced potatoes of any variety*, unpeeled, scrubbed well, and cut into 1" chunks
Olive oil
Salt to taste (Kosher is best, see below)
1-2 cloves fresh minced or pressed garlic
1 tsp dried herbs such as thyme or rosemary (optional)
Diced onion and/or peppers (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Put your cut potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Toss with the olive oil, salt, garlic, plus the herbs and/or peppers and onions (if you are using them) to coat.

Tear off two 18" sections of aluminum foil. Lay one section flat on your work surface. Place about two cups of the potato mixture (more gets unwieldy; make additional packets if you want more food) on the center of your foil. Fold all the edges up and over the potatoes to make a packet. Do not worry if they are not completely covered, because next you are going to do this: Lay out the second foil strip, then place your packet, open side down, in the center. Fold the edges up and over as before. Now you should have a secure vessel that can be turned on the grill without a mess, but if in doubt, add another layer - the last thing you want is to be dropping hot potatoes all over an even hotter grill. Also, a good seal is important to keep the goods from getting dried out and tough.

Cook the bomb over medium indirect heat for 30-60 minutes until the potatoes are tender, turning every 15-20 min with a pair of tongs. How long this takes is going to depend on any number of factors, including the type of grill you have, the kind of potato, the size of the pieces, etc. You can get crispier spuds by cooking over direct heat, but the risk of burning is higher and you will need to pay due diligence. Experiment to see what works. Potatoes should be very soft when prodded with a fork.

Carefully open the packets, avoiding escaping steam, and let cool for a few minutes before serving. If freshly ground black pepper or cheese is your thing, this is the time to add it.

*Notes on ingredients: I like using a mixture of different potato types; you can use pretty much anything, which is the beauty of this recipe. Sweet potatoes are awesome made this way - but they take a lot less time to cook than white potatoes, so keep that in mind. A mixture of sweet and white is divine. I prefer to use kosher salt over table because I can actually see how salty I have made my potatoes (since tasting raw potatoes for correct saltiness is an unpleasurable experience). Happy grilling!