At Home...Dad?

"I've made it no secret throughout the pages of this book that I live for carbs, cheese, and basil. So basically, I think Italy would really like me. No, wait, I would really like Italy." – Tieghan Gerard, Half-Baked Harvest










The Middle Eastern Foil-Packet Fish is a great way to introduce a new cast of ingredients to the weeknight meal selection. The recipe calls for two leeks (including both the white and green parts), halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick. Leeks aren't necessarily everyone's favorite just cut – they are pungent and hold a very powerful onion essence, but the beauty of this potency is that once cooked in the foil in among the other ingredients, they become a wonderful backdrop aroma, infuse everything else with its flavor, and can, if needed, be easily picked out. When foiling, it truly doesn't matter whether the amount follows the recipe to the ounce or not. Four slices of leeks per packet will definitely be noticed more than...none. Other ingredients that show up as potentially zingy newcomers are chickpeas (1 can), green olives, halved (put in exactly the number that will be edible to each eater. I never really expected kids to necessarily dive straight into the olives placed in any dish. (I've made a wonderful Mediterranean salad for many years, calling for 20 olives cut in half, as an example. They usually get picked out). There will a few strips of lemon zest, and eventually fresh parsley, fresh mint, and pinches of coriander and paprika, all of a flavor cluster from standard middle eastern, plus carrots and of course the white fish, this time asking for cod fillets. All of this can be adjusted to suit interests in the foil. I would go heavy on the carrots – who doesn't love cooked carrots? Paired by a cod is a wonderful compliment, and if eaters were particularly picky, it might be these two, plus the chickpeas, that might have the best chance of winning them over.

Preheat oven at 450. 12-inch sheets seem to the usual size for foil packets – it allows for the dividing of all the ingredients into something like 1-servings per, with enough along the outsides to use for wrapping. Don't forget a drizzle or two of olive oil onto the foil, and the recipe mentions a few splashes of water also to create a steaming juice. Divide leeks, carrots, chickpeas and olives among the foil sheets and mound in the center; season with salt and pepper; top each with lemon zest. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides; place the fillet on top of the mound. Bring the edges of the foil together and fold to seal, leaving room to circulate. Let these sit in the oven for 15-20 minutes. My experience has been that most foiling is as safe a process as it comes. We can just about picture the cooking process as the vegetables create a flavor steam that then begins to rise and cook the cod, imparting the flavors, and partially escaping the package. Meanwhile, the herbs create a sauce that will be drizzled over the top once the packet is opened and prepared to serve. It's hard to know who will and who won't enjoy the pungent combination of mint, coriander and paprika, but it seems that parsley is always the safest of all of these, primarily a textural and decorative add-on. I have served the foil packet directly on the plate and I have tried to scoop the contents onto a plate; for me it has always depended on how much liquid is left on the bottom. Obviously, if a goal is to save the broth, then keeping the packet seems best. If it is really the fish and carrots, for example, that are the goal for the meal, then the liquid can be set aside. The sky is the limit for foil packs. The technique could just as easily show itself handy for pescatarian and vegan and certainly vegetarian. Unlike any one-pot stovetop skillet techniques, you don't have the one-sided primary heat of the pan to contend with. There are similar qualities to a tagine, but a difference there is that the tagine is purposefully a multi-portion stewing container. The foil packet is a steamer but allows for flexibility in how you add and disperse the ingredients. In a restaurant, it seems total uniformity in presenting any given entree is critical; at home, we know, through trial and more trial, who will be most likely to set aside the chickpeas.