Plank box on the grill (long but kinda cool)

NibbleMeThis said:

I tried something kind of new on the Egg yesterday.  Plank box grilled mashed potatoes



I say, "kind of new" because I have planked mashed potatoes on the Egg before but without the sides.  You just mound up as much as you can on a plank and go from there.   But this is a recipe that I found in Ted Reader's new book, Gastro Grilling, and I thought we'd give it a try because it sounded good.

Think of it as hot crash potatoes topped with caramelized onions and a creamy mashed potato and cheese mixture.  Yeah, sounds awesome, right?

Built the box almost as directed in the book using store bought planks - too expensive.  He recommends the cheaper untreated cedar shingles and shims.  Notice the slight warp in the darker board.  That will come into play.



He didn't say whether or not to soak the box but it was a direct cook, so I made that assumption.



Next we boiled some red potatoes and caramelized some onions.  I smashed 3 whole potatoes on the bottom of the box like hot crash potatoes and seasoned those.  I put the onions and some garlic on top of that.



We used the rest of the potatoes to make a cheesy mashed potatoes with smoked Edam, mozzarella, more garlic, Mexican crema, and salt and pepper to taste.  Spooned that  on top of the onions and smashed potatoes.   Put that on direct at 375°F.  In the first 10-15 minutes, that warp became more pronounced until it actually split the ends!



Nothing was leaking out so I just let it go.   I did put a GrillGrate under it just to protect the bottom a little in case it split (didn't).   After about 30 minutes, I put a little more smoked Edam cheese and some of Ted's Bone Dust rub on top.   Let it finish for another 10-15 minutes.



I served it with a tri-tip that I grilled on an open pit using one of his other recipes.



The results were excellent.  They were creamy, slightly smoky, and had a peppery kick that I like.  I ate more as a snack at 1:30am. 

That said, it was quite a production and I'd probably only do this again (with the box) when cooking for company, since it makes a great presentation for guests.  I would like to try it using a layer of shredded hash browns to make a crispy crust on the bottom and sides.  I was thinking we could press the frozen hash browns in, pre-cook it maybe for 10-15 minutes before adding the onions and mashed potatoes.

Anyway, thought it was a cool idea that some might want to try out.