Grilled Yellow Potatoes with Mustard Sauce

The market continues its steady climb. I had 7 showings this week and 1 offers. My reputation precedes me now — the Greek agent who tells the truth about roofs and brings food to open houses. Worse reputations exist.

Dimitri stopped by the bakery Saturday morning to eat spanakopita and tell Mama she is doing things wrong. She told him he had his chance. They argued. They ate. They loved. In that order, which is the only order this family knows.

Mama is 85 and still at the bakery at 4 AM. I do not know how much longer she will do this. I do not ask. You do not ask Voula Papadopoulos about endings. You stand next to her and roll phyllo and trust that the beginning continues as long as the hands are moving.

I made fakes — Greek lentil soup with tomatoes, bay leaves, and a splash of vinegar. The cheapest meal I make and one of the best. Sophia ate 1 servings and said nothing, which means it was good. Alexander ate 2 and asked for more. The pan was empty by nine. Empty pans are the highest form of flattery in this kitchen.

The weeks pass and I am learning that life at 50 is not what I expected at twenty-five. It is messier, harder, more beautiful. The moussaka is better because my hands have made it more times. The career is stronger because the failures taught me what the successes could not. And the love — the love I pour into every dish, every showing, every Sunday drive to Tarpon Springs — is bigger now because I have lost enough to know what it costs.

The fakes pot was already clean and put away by nine o’clock, and what I kept thinking about, standing at the sink, was how the best meals are always the cheapest ones — the ones that ask almost nothing of you and give everything back. These grilled yellow potatoes with mustard sauce are that same kind of dish: honest, unfussy, the sort of thing Mama would approve of without saying so. I made them the following Sunday alongside everything else, and like the lentil soup the week before, the pan came back empty, which in this kitchen is the only review that matters.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs yellow potatoes, scrubbed and halved (or quartered if large)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

Parboil the potatoes. Place the halved potatoes in a pot of well-salted cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 8–10 minutes, until just barely fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain and let steam-dry for 5 minutes.
Season for the grill. Toss the parboiled potatoes in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Press the cut sides down gently so they lie flat.
Grill until golden. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Place potatoes cut-side down and grill undisturbed for 5–7 minutes, until deep golden grill marks form. Flip and cook the skin side another 4–5 minutes. The edges should be slightly crisp.
Make the mustard sauce. While the potatoes grill, whisk together the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice, garlic, honey, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl until smooth and emulsified.
Dress and finish. Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving platter. Spoon the mustard sauce generously over the top, turning to coat if you like. Scatter the fresh parsley over everything.
Serve immediately. These are best eaten hot, straight from the grill, while the edges are still a little crisp and the sauce soaks into the cuts.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Yellow Potatoes with Mustard Sauce — The Humble Dish That Holds the Table Together