Grilled Potatoes

A simple Spanish tapa

Spaniards do not take the potato for granted. It is the star of several national dishes, including patatas bravas and the traditional Spanish tortilla. We had this simple tapa in a bar in Madrid after a day of slogging around the city, and we have reproduced it many times at home, generally as an accompaniment to grilled meat or veggies.

Ingredients:

· 8 medium potatoes, red, white or Yukon gold

· Salt

· Pepper

· 4 T butter

· 4 T olive oil

· 8 cloves of garlic

Directions:

1. Peel and rinse the potatoes and place them whole into a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt (several Tablespoons). Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are almost cooked through.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Add the olive oil and remove from heat. Add the garlic, minced very fine, the salt and the pepper and stir.

3. When potatoes are finished, remove from water and let dry on a cutting board. Cut each potato lengthwise into 4 cross-sections.

4. Dip the potatoes into the garlic butter and olive oil mixture before.

5. Grill at a high heat for several minutes on each side. There should be grill marks and the rest of the potato should be just beginning to brown.

6. Serve them as a side dish to grilled meat or veggies, or serve them as a simple tapa, as we first had them in Madrid.