Grilled Duchess Potatoes: The Ultimate Elegant BBQ Side Dish

Prepare to impress your guests at your next barbecue with a side dish that’s as stunning as it is delicious: **Duchess Potatoes on the Grill!** These beautifully piped mashed potato mounds boast a golden, crispy exterior and a fluffy, savory interior, making them an unforgettable accompaniment to any grilled meat, fish, or vegetable. They look fantastic, taste incredible, and offer a sophisticated twist to classic mashed potatoes, all while freeing up your oven space!

As summer approaches and grilling season kicks into full gear, finding unique and flavorful side dishes becomes a top priority. While traditional mashed potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser, Duchess Potatoes elevate this humble dish into something truly special. Essentially, Duchess Potatoes are a refined version of mashed potatoes, enriched with egg yolks and butter, then piped into elegant shapes and baked until golden. Our innovative approach takes them out of the oven and onto the gas grill, utilizing a cast-iron plancha for that perfect crispy finish and a hint of smoky flavor that only grilling can provide.

This recipe is not just for summer BBQs. Their festive appearance makes these elegant potato mounds a wonderful addition to holiday tables, such as Christmas dinner, adding a touch of gourmet flair to any celebratory meal. We’ve enjoyed these duchess potatoes as a perfect complement to grilled bacon-wrapped venison tenderloin and savory Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts. For an even more elaborate feast, consider starting with a delicious chestnut and porcini mushroom soup prepared in a Dutch Oven.

While grilling offers a unique twist, we understand it might not be for everyone. If you prefer a more traditional approach, you can easily make duchess potatoes in the oven. Or, if you’re looking for another comforting potato option, give this delicious mashed potatoes with cream cheese recipe a try. But for those ready to embrace the sizzle, let’s fire up the grill and create something truly spectacular!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

🥘 Essential Ingredients for Perfect Grilled Duchess Potatoes

Crafting these delectable grilled duchess potatoes requires a few key ingredients, each playing a vital role in achieving their signature flavor and texture. Opt for quality to ensure the best results!

• Floury potatoes: The foundation of any good mash. Their high starch content ensures a light and fluffy texture, ideal for piping.
• Egg Yolks: Four yolks enrich the mashed potatoes, adding flavor and a beautiful golden hue. The fifth yolk is crucial for brushing the piped mounds, giving them that irresistible crispy, browned finish.
• Unsalted Butter: For a rich, creamy taste and smooth consistency. Unsalted butter allows you to control the seasoning precisely.
• Nutmeg: A classic spice pairing with potatoes, adding a subtle warmth and aromatic complexity.
• Whipped Cream: Contributes to the luxurious, creamy texture of the mash, making it extra smooth and pipeable.
• Salt & Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning to taste. Don’t be shy – well-seasoned potatoes are key!
• Baking Oil: For oiling the plancha, ensuring the potatoes don’t stick and achieve a lovely crust. Choose an oil with a high smoke point for best grilling results.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

🔪 Step-by-Step: How to Grill Duchess Potatoes

Follow these detailed steps to create perfectly golden and delicious Duchess Potatoes right on your gas grill. We’ll guide you through each stage, from preparing your grill to serving these elegant potato mounds.

1. Preparing Your Gas Grill for Indirect Heat

First things first, let’s get your grill ready. For this recipe, we’ll be using indirect heat to bake the potatoes gently. We used a Napoleon Rogue gas grill with three burners and two grates for our recipe, but the principles apply to most gas grills.

[lasso id=”2522376″ link_id=”4231″ ref=”amzn-napoleon-propane-gas-grill” type=”image”]

To enable grilling these piped potatoes, you’ll need to **replace one of your standard grates with a cast-iron plancha**. It’s crucial to **install the plancha into the gas grill *before* heating it up**, as cast iron needs to preheat gradually and thoroughly for optimal performance. Once the plancha is in place, **turn all burners to maximum** and close the grill cover. Preheat the gas grill to a steady **250 °C (482 °F)**. This preheating process will take approximately 15-20 minutes, giving you ample time to prepare your potato mixture.

2. Cooking the Potatoes

While your grill is preheating, begin preparing the potatoes. Grab a **large cooking pot, fill it with water, and bring it to a rolling boil**. As the water heats up, **peel your floury potatoes and cut them into quarters**. Once the water boils, add the quartered potatoes and cook them until they are fork-tender. This typically takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your potato pieces. Once cooked, **strain the potatoes thoroughly** and let them cool briefly – they should still be warm.

3. Mashing and Mixing the Duchess Potato Base

Working quickly while the potatoes are still warm is key! This makes them much easier to process. **Press all the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer** directly into a large mixing bowl. The ricer is a fantastic tool for achieving a perfectly smooth, lump-free consistency, which is essential for elegant piping.

Now, it’s time to enrich your mashed potatoes. To the riced potatoes, **add four (yes, four!) egg yolks**, along with the **unsalted butter, a dash of nutmeg, whipped cream, and season generously with salt and black pepper**. Make sure to **save that fifth egg yolk** – you’ll need it later for coating the potato heaps before grilling!

Once all ingredients are in the bowl, **mix everything together thoroughly** until it forms a smooth, cohesive, and pipeable mixture. Ensure there are no lumps and the butter is fully incorporated.

4. Piping the Duchess Potato Mounds

Now for the artistic part! **Fill your prepared potato mixture into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip.** You can pipe the duchess potatoes either onto a baking tray that you’ve previously coated lightly with high-heat oil, or onto a plate lined with parchment paper. Parchment paper can make transferring them easier. Once your surface is ready, **pipe small, elegant mounds** onto the tray or plate, ensuring they are evenly spaced.

5. Egg Wash and Transfer to the Grill

Before grilling, take your reserved fifth egg yolk and lightly whisk it. **Carefully brush the tops of each piped duchess potato mound with this egg wash.** This step is crucial for achieving that beautiful golden-brown color and a slightly crispy texture on the grill. With your potatoes now prepared and brushed, **take your trays out to your preheated grill.**

6. Indirect Grilling on the Plancha

Remember, we’re baking these indirectly. This means **turn off the burners directly underneath your plancha**. For instance, if your plancha is on the left side of a three-burner grill, you would turn off both left burners and keep only the rightmost burner turned on. Since opening the grill lid can cause a significant temperature drop, feel free to **leave the active burner on full** to help maintain the desired baking temperature inside the grill.

Now, **open the grill cover and carefully coat the heated plancha with a high-smoke-point cooking oil** using your baking brush. This oil layer is essential to prevent the delicate potato mounds from sticking to the cast iron. Once oiled, **use a spatula to gently transfer the piped potato mounds onto the plancha**. A spatula helps maintain their beautiful shape.

Once all the duchess potatoes are arranged on the oiled plancha, **close the grill lid and bake them for approximately 20-25 minutes at about 180-200 °C (356-392 °F)**. Keep a close eye on them; the cast-iron plancha retains a lot of heat, so the bottoms can brown quickly. While they might not achieve the same deep browning as in an oven, their flavor will be just as, if not more, delicious with that subtle grilled essence! As soon as they reach a light golden color and are heated through, they’re ready.

7. Serve Immediately!

Once your beautifully grilled duchess potatoes have achieved that perfect light golden hue, carefully remove them from the grill. **Serve them immediately** to enjoy their optimal texture and warmth!

📖 Duchess Potatoes: Grill vs. Oven

While this article focuses on the unique experience of making duchess potatoes on the grill, it’s good to know you have options! The traditional method for these elegant potato mounds is baking them in an oven. The main difference lies in the heat source and the specific flavor profile achieved. Grilling imparts a subtle smokiness and a distinct bottom crust, while oven-baking typically results in more uniform browning all around. If you’re curious about the classic way, you can find detailed step-by-step instructions on “How to prepare duchess potatoes in the oven.” Both methods yield delightful results, so choose the one that best suits your cooking style and desired flavor!

💭 Pro Tips & Leftover Solutions

After creating this delightful Duchess Potato recipe, you’ll find yourself with a few leftover ingredients, specifically some egg whites and possibly extra whipped cream. Don’t let them go to waste! Here are some fantastic ways to utilize them:

• **For Leftover Egg Whites:** These are perfect for making light and airy cookies. Try our delicious Coconut “Busserl” Cookies, a rich chocolate cake, or our delightful Walnut Meringue Cookies. Each recipe offers a wonderful way to enjoy those extra egg whites.
• **For Leftover Whipped Cream:** If you have extra whipping cream, our Whipping Cream Bundt Cake recipe is an ideal and utterly delicious solution, resulting in a moist and tender cake.
• **Vegetable Pairing:** Looking for a colorful and healthy vegetable to serve alongside your Duchess Potatoes? This vibrant purple cauliflower recipe makes a visually stunning and tasty companion!

🙋🏻 Frequently Asked Questions About Grilling Duchess Potatoes

Can I use any type of grill?

The detailed step-by-step instructions in this post are specifically tailored for a **gas grill**, as it offers precise temperature control and ease of use with a plancha. However, you can certainly adapt this recipe for a **charcoal grill**. The primary difference will be in the grill preparation and temperature management. For a charcoal grill, you’ll need to set up a two-zone fire (direct and indirect heat) and ensure your plancha is properly heated over the indirect zone. Grilling times may also vary due to the fluctuating temperatures of charcoal, so constant monitoring will be essential to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.

Which oil should I use when grilling?

When grilling, especially on a hot plancha, it is crucial to use an oil with a **high smoke point**. This prevents the oil from burning, smoking excessively, and developing bitter flavors, which can also release harmful compounds. Good options typically include:

Oil	Smoke Point ºF	Smoke Point °C
Refined Avocado Oil	520ºF	270°C
Safflower Oil	510ºF	265ºC
Rice Bran Oil	490ºF	254ºC
Refined or Light Olive Oil	465ºF	240ºC
Soybean Oil	450ºF	232ºC
Peanut Oil	450ºF	232ºC
Ghee or Clarified Butter	450ºF	232ºC
Corn Oil	450ºF	232ºC
Refined Coconut Oil	450ºF	232ºC
Sunflower Oil	440ºF	227ºC
Refined Sesame Oil	410ºF	210ºC
Vegetable Oil	400-450ºF	204-232ºC
Beef Tallow	400ºF	204ºC
Canola Oil	400ºF	204ºC
Grapeseed Oil	390ºF	199ºC

Source: getwellseasoned.com

What is a plancha?

A **plancha** is essentially a flat, typically cast-iron or stainless steel, cooking surface designed to sit on top of your grill grates. It features raised edges that make it incredibly easy to control food, preventing it from falling through the grates or rolling off the edge. This flat surface provides even heating and allows for superior searing, creating a beautiful crust on foods like these duchess potatoes, or perfect for delicate items that might otherwise stick or fall apart. An added benefit is that fat and drippings can drain away into drip trays (depending on the plancha design), contributing to healthier dishes and reducing flare-ups.

The specific plancha we recommend and used for this recipe is the Porcelian-Enameled Cast Iron Plancha from Napoleon, known for its even heat distribution and restaurant-quality searing capabilities. Its glossy enameled finish offers a naturally non-stick surface, and its angled design efficiently directs fat away from your food, while the raised edge prevents spills. With ample grilling surface, it’s ideal for a variety of foods, including these exquisite Duchess Potatoes.

Source: napoleon.com

📖 Recipe

⛑️ Important Food Safety Reminders

Ensuring food safety is paramount when cooking, especially when grilling. Please keep these guidelines in mind for a safe and enjoyable culinary experience:

• Cook all food, particularly meats, to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) to eliminate harmful bacteria.
• Avoid cross-contamination: Never use the same utensils or cutting boards on cooked food that have previously touched raw meat.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling raw meat or raw eggs.
• Do not leave cooked food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods (typically no longer than 2 hours).
• Never leave cooking food unattended, especially when operating a grill or stove, to prevent accidents.
• When grilling or high-heat cooking, use oils with a high smoking point to avoid the production of harmful compounds and unpleasant smoke.
• Ensure you always have good ventilation when using a gas stove or grill, particularly if cooking indoors or in a semi-enclosed space.

For further comprehensive information, please refer to Safe Food Handling – FDA.