By Father's Day. The fifth one documented. Rémy cooked breakfast again — his tradition now, Father's Day breakfast, the eggs better each year (no shells this time, just clean cracks and fluffy scrambles). Luc's gift: a handshake and a card that said, "Thanks for the gumbo, Dad. And everything else." The "everything else" is where the everything is. Colette's gift: a watercolor of the pit, at sunset, with smoke curling into an orange sky. It's the best painting she's done. I'm framing it for the workshop, next to the LLC certificate and the photo of me and Joey.
Grilled whole fish — a red snapper, butterflied, seasoned with garlic and herbs, grilled over high heat until the skin crisped and the flesh was white and flaky. Father's Day deserves whole fish. Whole fish is ceremonial. Whole fish is the fisherman's feast, the Gulf on a plate, the reminder that this state feeds us from the water as much as from the land.
Whole snapper like that deserves company — something with char on it, something that came off the same fire. These grilled potato skins have been the sidekick to big-occasion meals at our pit for years now, and on a day when Colette handed me a watercolor and Luc said “everything else,” I wasn’t about to let the fish stand alone on the plate. The grill was already hot, the coals were right, and potato skins on the grate felt exactly like the kind of abundance a Father’s Day deserves.
Grilled Potato Skins
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- Sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, pierce several times with a fork, and bake directly on the oven rack for 45 to 55 minutes until completely tender. Let cool enough to handle.
- Halve and scoop. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell of potato and skin. Reserve the scooped flesh for another use.
- Season the skins. Brush the inside and outside of each shell with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over both sides of each skin.
- Grill over high heat. Preheat grill to high (about 450°F). Place potato skins skin-side down on the grates and grill for 4 to 5 minutes until the skins are crisp and marked. Flip and grill flesh-side down for 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Add the cheese and bacon. Flip skins back to flesh-side up. Divide shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon among the skins. Close the grill lid and cook 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is fully melted.
- Finish and serve. Transfer to a platter and top with sliced green onions. Serve immediately with sour cream on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 420mg