Six-Cylinder Snapper with Basil Oil and Succotash
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 2 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 2 servings
- Calories
- 1726
- Total Fat
- 138
- Saturated Fat
- 24
- Carbohydrates
- 88
- Dietary Fiber
- 16
- Sugar
- 13
- Protein
- 45
- Cholesterol
- 108
- Sodium
- 1915
- Total: 2 hr 55 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Inactive: 30 min
- Cook: 2 hr
Ingredients
Six-Cylinder Snapper:
3 (12 by 16-inch) sheets aluminum foil
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets, or other lightly textured fish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, stems discarded
Basil Oil:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh basil, stems discarded
Succotash:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 potatoes, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1 yam, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
6 asparagus spears, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
10 peeled cloves garlic
2 large shallots, quartered
2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs (thyme, tarragon, rosemary. . . whatever), stemmed and minced
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Layer 3 sheets of aluminum foil on top of each another and use butter or oil to grease the top layer.
- Rinse fish and pat dry. Place the fish on the foil and squeeze lemon juice over top, then season with salt and pepper and herbs. Tightly seal foil package.
- Place on engine (see The Driver's Manual below) and drive for approximately 100 km, (62.miles) or until fish is cooked throughout.
- Add both basil oil ingredients to a blender and puree. Let pureed mixture sit for 30 minutes if possible. Strain through a fine strainer. Discard solids. (makes about 1 cup, but all you need is a couple of tablespoons). Reserve.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, add oil and butter. When butter is melted, add carrots, potatoes, yam, asparagus, garlic and shallots. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are cooked throughout and caramelized on the outside. Add herbs, salt and pepper during the last few minutes of cooking. Serve with fish
- To serve, make a mound of succotash in the middle of each plate. Top with snapper and drizzle basil oil overtop.
- The Driver's Manual:
- In preparation for your first car meal, you should start by locating your engine's hot spots. Do this after any long drive by turning off the engine and letting the car sit for 15 minutes. Then lift up the hood and quickly tap the various components of the engine block. On most vehicles, the hottest area is the exhaust manifold cover, but most engines have additional nooks and crannies that will generate enough heat to slow-cook your freeway fare. Stay clear of areas near any moving parts such as the accelerator linkage, belts, or fans, and don't block any air intakes.
- The sensible way (relatively speaking) to take advantage of the oven under your hood is to cook small portions of lightly textured foods. For this reason, fish is the perfect road chow. Before attempting any complex recipes, get to know your engine by cooking a hot dog (or tofu dog), the guinea pig of engine cooking.
- When you are ready to cook:
- ¿ Lay out 3 equal-size sheets of aluminum foil, one on top of the other.
- Proceed as if they were a single sheet.
- ¿ Grease the top sheet with a small amount of butter or olive oil to avoid
- stickage.
- ¿ Wrap ingredients in foil, then seal the seams by folding them over twice
- and tightly pinching them to create an airtight package. FYI, even
- perfectly sealed packages will leak small amounts of liquid.
- Before placing food on the engine, loosely roll up a 6-inch ball of foil, set it on top of the engine, and close the hood. Immediately reopen the hood and use the squashed ball to determine the amount of clearance space between it and the engine block. Set food on the predetermined sweet spot of your engine and secure it with a ball of foil that is equal to the clearance space less the pouch size. If you are cooking on a slanted section of the engine, strap the pouch in place with additional aluminum foil bracing. If you are cooking in a nook or cranny, be sure that package is secure.
- Make, model, speed, outside temperature, food density, and placement will all affect the cooking time. Most small packets of food should cook in 1 to 2 hours. To ensure that you have fingers left to lick at the end of the meal, always turn off the engine before loading, unloading, or testing for doneness.