Grilled Potato Salad with Crisp Bacon

Submitted by Stacey Hutchings

Mat made this for the High Priest Group Dinner and got rave reviews! This recipe comes from Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue. We've loved everything we've tried from this book (and we've tried most of 'em)!

For the dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons canola oil, or other vegetable oil (we prefer to use light olive oil)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until needed, or for up to 2 days.

For the salad:
4 pounds small (3-inch) red potatoes
6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt, such as kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 strips bacon
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves

1. Scrub the potatoes, put them in a large pot, and add water to cover by about 2 inches. Salt the water generously. Cover the pot and set it over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a brisk simmer and cook until the potatoes can just be pierced by a fork. The time will vary with the size of your potatoes, but they may take up to 25 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes, place them in a shallow pan, and drizzle with the oil. Roll the potatoes in the oil to coat, season with salt and pepper, and let cool to room temperature. Cut the potatoes in half, and toss to coat the cut sides in oil. You can do this several hours ahead of time; let the potatoes sit at room temperature.

3. Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for direct cooking over high heat.

4. While the grill is heating, warm a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning as needed, until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels. When it's cool, chop roughly and set aside.

5. Grill the potatoes, turning them frequently, until they are well browned and beginning to char in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Put them in a bowl, and add the bacon, onion,and parsley.

6. Drizzle the dressing over the potatoes, toss gently, and serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.