WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To bring together two favorite summer traditions— potato salad and grilling—we used the grill to both steam and char sweet potatoes, so all the cooking was done outside. We first tossed the potatoes with a spiced vinaigrette in a disposable aluminum pan; the vinaigrette
generated steam and helped cook the potatoes through while also seasoning them. Once the potatoes were steamed, we transferred them
from the pan to the hot cooking grate to give them some flavorful char. Threading toothpicks through the onion rounds kept them intact and prevented them from falling through the grate during cooking. We sprinkled feta, scallions, and cilantro over the grilled salad to finish it off. We recommend using medium potatoes, 2 to 3 inches in diameter, because they’ll fit neatly in the disposable aluminum pan.
SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small red onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
- 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
- 3 scallions, sliced thin on bias
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Marinate the onions: Thread 1 toothpick horizontally through each onion round. Whisk lime juice, honey, chipotle, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil until combined; set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Toss potatoes, onion rounds, ¼ cup vinaigrette, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in separate bowl.
- Grill the vegetables:
- For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
- For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium. Adjust burners as needed to maintain grill temperature around 400 degrees.
- Cook the vegetables: Clean and oil cooking grate. Place disposable pan on grill. Cover grill and cook until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, shaking disposable pan halfway through cooking to redistribute potatoes. Remove disposable pan from grill.
- Finish the dish: Place vegetables on cooking grate. Cook (covered if using gas) until lightly charred and tender, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer vegetables to bowl with remaining vinaigrette, discarding toothpicks from onion rounds and separating rings. Toss vegetables to coat, then transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle feta, scallions, and cilantro over top. Serve with lime wedges
