How to Make Pouch Steamed Red Snapper

Cooking in a pouch is a remarkably simple method capable of producing remarkably complex aromas and flavors. How's it work? Well, you apply enough heat to food, the moisture inside will be released as steam, right. And it usually just drifts away, taking a lot of heat with it.

But placing food in a pouch is kind of like getting in a small tent on a warm day, okay. Instead of evaporating that moisture and the heat, it’s trapped right up against the food, cooking it very, very quickly.

So, what foods are pouch-positive? Well, not too surprisingly, vegetables do really, really well. In fact, one of my favorite pouches involves nothing more than potatoes and shallots shoved into some aluminum foil and dropped in a fire.

Meat? A little dicey, some, like, say, poultry and pork, do really, really well. But if it's a meat that really does require searing in order to be great, you might want to skip it. Here's a general rule: If you would never dream of steaming it, you probably don't ever want to bag it. Of course, that does leave us with the entire seafood kingdom, and I can't think of one piece of seafood that wasn't born to be inside of a pouch.

Now, since the method is very, very moist, skin doesn't dry out, which is why it's a perfect method for whole fish. Take this little snapper here, looks about the right size for two. He's a good-looking fish, and full of very mild flavor which pouch cooking will only elevate, kind of turn up the volume on. Of course, a lot of fish are sold as red snapper. If you want to be sure you've got the real thing, look him dead in the eye. The irises will always be as red as the scales.

Double check and make sure that your mango got all the scales off. It is usually a few strays left behind. Then, go ahead and trim off any other fins that look like they might perforate either you or the bag.

Now, finally, we can ponder the actual pouch material. We got grape leaves, fig leaves even corn husks. But since these aren’t hanging around the average American kitchen everyday at the week, I think we’ll stick with the parchment.

Once you have one end of the paper over the pan, bring forth the fish, a 1 to 2 pound red snapper, and lay it diagonally across one end of the parchment. Now for the rest of the demise in place, we begin of course with seasoning, a healthy sprinkling of kosher salt, both inside and outside the fish.

Next up, freshly ground black pepper inside and out, a handful of fresh parsley and oregano goes on the inside, along with a few slices of lemon, and a few slices of red onion, if you've got it. Really shove it in there. Whatever doesn't fit, just stick underneath the fish. He'll never know.

Next, one cup of couscous that has been rinsed with cold water, sprinkled with salt, and allowed to sit for about 10 minutes. Then 1 cup of artichokes, canned, drained and quartered. One cup of cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes, halved. two teaspoons of garlic, a few more slices of lemon, and a little more onion, if you like, say half a cup's worth, there.

Finally, half a cup of white wine, right over the fish, don't worry, it won't pour out. Oh, I left out the butter, one tablespoon dabbed on top. Fold over the other side of the paper, grease all the way around the three open sides, and then staple it shot. Now, straight into the middle of a 425-degree oven, set your timer for 30 minutes.

You know, I'm really sorry we haven't worked out that scratch-and-sniff television yet, because it sure would come in handy right now. This is amazingly aromatic, and you'll notice every little morsel is perfectly cooked and look, not a dry flake in the house. All you have to do now is scoop, serve and patiently await the adoration of your fans.