Campfire Potatoes with Tomatoes, Bacon, and Blue Cheese

 

6 T. unsalted butter

3 lb. marble potatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3–4 slices bacon, cooked and cut into lardons

¾ cup crumbled blue cheese

Crème fraîche

Pickled red onions (recipe follows)

Grilled cherry tomatoes (see note)

Minced fresh chives

1 cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup granulated sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 red onion, sliced

4 ice cubes

 

Make the pickled red onions: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup water, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Place the sliced onions in a small sealable, heat-proof container. Pour the hot solution over the onions and stir. Add the ice cubes to the top of the onions to weigh them down and cool them. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until cool. Set up the grill: Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat, and set it up with two zones: a hot side and cold (less hot) side, for direct and indirect cooking. You want the temperature to hover around 400°F. Place a large cast-iron skillet on top of the grates to heat as the grill warms up. Cook the potatoes: When the skillet is hot, add the butter to melt. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and 3½ cups of the broth and move the skillet to the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and let the potatoes cook down, basting occasionally, until cooked through and the liquid has mostly evaporated, adding more broth as needed for the potatoes to cook. You’ll likely end up needing close to 5 cups. Serve: Remove the potatoes from the grill and serve hot, topped with bacon lardons, blue cheese, dollops of crème fraîche, pickled onions, grilled tomatoes, and minced chives. Note: To grill the tomatoes, look for whole cherry tomatoes right on the vine, which you can drop directly onto the hot side of the grill grates as the potatoes finish cooking. Once they have slightly charred and started to burst, they’re finished. If you can’t find whole tomatoes on the vine, place the tomatoes either in a cast-iron skillet on the grates or in an aluminum foil packet (not too tightly sealed).