Grilled Parmesan Potatoes

New Year's Eve. The end of 2024, the beginning of 2025. Six months to the book's publication. Three years since Marvin moved to Cedarhurst. Nine years since I started writing for RecipeSpinoff. Sixty-eight years since I was born in the Bronx. The numbers accumulate. The numbers are the evidence. The numbers are the chain in numerical form: each one a link, each one a year, each one a week, each one a day at two o'clock with a container and a book and the love.

I made brisket for New Year's Day. The constant. The anchor. The prayer. The recipe that has not changed in forty-three years and will not change in the next forty-three, because the brisket is the constitution of this kitchen, the founding document, the original text from which all other texts derive. The brisket is Sylvia's gift to me and my gift to the world and the book's gift to the reader and the chain's gift to the future. Six hours. Low heat. Onions. Garlic. Tomatoes. Broth. Time. Love. The brisket is the chain. The chain is the brisket. The year turns. The brisket braises. I am here. Still here. Always here.

The brisket is the constitution, yes—but every constitution needs a table around it, and for forty-three years that table has included these potatoes. They are not complicated. They do not need to be. They go in alongside the brisket, they come out golden and smelling of garlic and cheese, and they remind everyone sitting down that the meal is whole, that nothing is missing, that we are taken care of. On New Year’s Day 2025, with the numbers still ringing in my ears and the braise going low and slow, I set these on the grill and let them do what they always do: hold the table together while everything else finds its place.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs small Yukon Gold or red potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)

Instructions

Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (approximately 400°F). If using an outdoor grill, lightly oil the grates.
Parboil the potatoes. Place the halved potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8–10 minutes, until just fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain and let cool slightly.
Season the potatoes. In a large bowl, toss the parboiled potatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Grill cut-side down. Place the potatoes cut-side down on the hot grill. Cook for 8–10 minutes without moving, until deep golden grill marks form and the edges are crispy.
Flip and finish. Flip the potatoes and grill the skin side for another 5–7 minutes, until tender all the way through and slightly charred at the edges.
Add the Parmesan. Transfer the grilled potatoes to a serving dish or sheet pan. Immediately sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the hot potatoes so it melts slightly into the surface.
Serve. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve hot alongside brisket or any roasted meat.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Parmesan Potatoes — The Side That Holds the Table Together