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These potatoes are baked in the oven and finished on a plank, which adds an extra dimension of smoky flavor that’s brought out further if you use smoked Gouda instead of cheddar. (My kids thought the smoked Gouda version was too smoky, but I loved it.)
Ingredients
1 hardwood plank (alder, maple, or oak works best here), soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
3 baking potatoes
1 tbsp (15 mL) kosher salt (or even coarser salt like Maldon or fleur de sel)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, divided
1/4 cup (50 mL) whipping cream
1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup (250 mL) grated cheddar cheese or smoked Gouda
1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
Paprika
Sour cream
Chopped chives
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash and scrub the potatoes under cold water and puncture the skin in a few places with a fork. While the potatoes are still damp, coat them generously with the salt, reserving about 1 tsp (5 mL) for seasoning the filling later. Bake the potatoes for about 1 hour.
2. Gently sauté the onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp (25 mL) of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until they’re tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them lengthwise. Let them cool a few minutes until you can handle them. Trying not to break the skins, scoop out the pulp, leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of potato flesh on the skin. Discard or eat the skin that’s in the worst shape. (Only 5 potatoes will fit on the average cooking plank, so the sixth potato half will just add volume to the filling.)
4. Combine the potato pulp, sautéed vegetables, remaining butter, cream, nutmeg, and reserved 1 tsp (5 mL) of salt in a medium bowl. Mash everything together until it’s smooth. Add the cheddar or Gouda and mix the potatoes with a wooden spoon until the cheese is barely combined with the mash. Add extra milk or cream if the mixture seems too dry. Spoon the filling into the potatoes, top them with the grated Parmesan, and gently shape them with your hands if they’ve drooped a bit. Drizzle each potato with a little olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of paprika on top.
5. Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chamber temperature rises above 500°F (260°C). Rinse the soaked plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Arrange the potatoes on the plank and cook them for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned and blistered. Serve the potatoes with the sour cream and chopped chives.
Serves 5
Recipe excerpted from Barbecue Secrets Deluxe by Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk. Published by Whitecap. Copyright 2009 by Ron Shewchuk. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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