Side Dishes

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

A perennial hit at Barbecue University, where we smoke-roast the spuds on the grill. A staple at my home, where we make some variation of these crusty, buttery, garlicky roasted potatoes once a week. Once you grasp the principle, no roasted vegetable is beyond your reach, indoors or out.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Recipe Notes

Advance Prep: If grilling, 1-1/2 cups hardwood chips (optional), soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes, then drained
Active Prep: 15 minutes
Grill Time: 40 minutes to 1 hour cooking time
Yield: Serves 4
Equipment: A roasting pan, or if you are grilling, a disposable foil pan, large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, full-size potatoes, like Yukon Golds, or baby sweet potatoes, or a combination of the two
1 head garlic (2 heads if you really like garlic)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or 2 tablespoons melted butter, duck fat, or bacon fat, or a mixture of any or all of these
Extra-virgin olive oil, or 2 tablespoons melted butter, duck fat, or bacon fat, or a mixture of any or all of these

Recipe Steps

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Or, set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat it to medium-high.

Step 2: Scrub the potatoes well and blot them dry (they must be dry so they roast, not steam). There’s no need to peel the potatoes. If you are using larger potatoes, cut them into 1-inch chunks first. Break the garlic head into individual cloves, taking care not to split the skins, add them to the roasting pan, and stir to mix. Drizzle the olive oil or other fat over the potatoes and garlic and season them generously with salt and pepper.

Step 3: If you are baking the potatoes, place the roasting pan in the oven and roast the potatoes until they are browned and tender and the garlic is soft, 40 minutes to 1 hour, stirring from time to time so they roast evenly. When done the potatoes will be easily pierced by a skewer or fork. Serve with the garlic cloves (nibble the soft, creamy roasted garlic out of the skins).

If you are grilling the potatoes, place the roasting pan in the center of the grill grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. For a smoke flavor, toss the soaked wood chips on the coals, or if using a gas grill, place them in the smoker box. Grill the potatoes until they are browned and tender and the garlic is soft, 40 minutes to 1 hour, stirring from time to time so they roast evenly. When done the potatoes will be easily pierced by a skewer or fork. Serve as above.