Before Potatoes Hit The Grill, Give Them A Salt-Water Soak
NEWS
By MATTHEW LEE
To keep your grilled potatoes from turning out ashy and bitter-tasting on the outside and still mealy or even crunchy on the inside, soak the spuds in salt water before grilling.
As you cut a spud, its microscopic cells release starches into the flesh. That extra starch can quickly burn when heated, leading to a charred exterior
and an undercooked interior.
To start, soak your cut up spuds in a bowl of cold water with 1 or 2 tablespoons of salt for half an hour. Then, pat them dry, grill at medium-high heat for two minutes, and enjoy.
You can also add other seasonings to the water. During the soaking process, the cold water will draw out excess starch, and the salt will pull moisture from the spuds via osmosis.
Food with a wet exterior always has a harder time browning. With the salt water removing moisture and adding flavor, your potatoes will turn out crispier and tastier when grilled.