There’s nothing more classic than a loaded baked potato next to a grilled to perfection steak. But how many baked potatoes packed with sour cream can you really eat in one summer? We wanted to change up our baked potato routine, so we asked newly crowned Chopped Grill Master Grand Champion Angie Mar, headchef of New York’s Beatrice Inn, for some pointers on uplifting our spud game. Thanks to her, we’ll now be prepared for next level baked potatoes both on and off the grill.
There’s nothing wrong with grilling potatoes the old fashioned way, just like you would in the oven: season them with oil, salt, and herbs, wrap them in foil, and grill them until tender.
Or you could break the mold and take your baked potatoes to the next level and follow Mar’s suggestion for baking your potatoes in the coals of your grill. Mar says it creates an interesting visual and textural side dish, “They will char and become black on the outside. Once they are cooked through, you can remove them from the coals and toss them with olive oil, salt and lemon.”
When it’s getting too cold to grill outside (or if El Niño is going to bury your grill under five feet of snow this winter), you can take Mar’s grilling secrets indoors.Mar suggests ditching the traditional baked potato for the beautiful texture and fragrance of a salt baked potato. She says to “try placing them on a baking sheet that is covered with kosher salt and scattered with thyme and garlic. Bake them in an oven at 350° for about 25 minutes until you can easily pierce them with a knife.”
A baked potato wouldn’t be complete without its toppings. Of course, toppings are a matter of personal preference and if bacon and sour cream are your go-to options, we’re not going to stop you. But consider Mar’s recommendations and try dressing your next grilled potato up with high quality olive oil, sea salt, lemon, and thyme. When asked what her favorite baked potato accoutrements were, Mar doesn’t settle for anything less than the best, “If I’m feeling a bit indulgent, perhaps a nice dollop of crème fraiche, a pat of butter and some rendered guanciale.”
