Red Snapper Tin Foil Dinner

I love a good tin foil dinner (TFD)--meat and veggies wrapped in tin foil and cooked over the hot coals of a campfire. I have some fun memories of making simple meals this way at a girls camp during the summers of my teenage years. There's something about food cooked over a campfire and eaten out under the stars that tastes so good. Sometimes I think a setting changes our perceptions of food, and that if you were to eat the same thing while sitting at your dining room table, it just wouldn't taste as good.

We recently pulled out some red snapper fillets to throw on the grill for dinner. As I was trying to decide what to marinate them in, I got to thinking about those campfire tin foil dinners, and I decided to cook the fillets TFD style, but on the grill. I was in the mood for some Japanese flavors, so I pulled out some soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey and scallions, and got to work. The snapper cooked up perfectly--nice and moist. Although the setting isn't as fun, the great thing about cooking a TFD on the grill is that it's easier to control the heat (harder on a campfire where you have lots of hot spots and cold spots), and the tin foil packet helps seal in the moisture, and saves all the extra juices (which I like to pour over my fish and rice). We'll definitely be doing more TFDs this summer!


Red Snapper Tin Foil Dinner
Fuji Mama
Makes 4 servings

4 small red snapper fillets (or 2 large)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. honey
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 scallions, sliced

1. Using a large piece of tin foil, make a large tray (with extra foil off to one side that can be pulled over the top to seal the fish in) and arrange the fish inside in a single layer.
2. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic.
3. Pour over the fish.
4. Scatter green onions over the top.
5. Seal your tinfoil into a packet and place over medium heat on grill. Cook until the fish is opaque (no longer translucent) and flakes with a fork. The fish cooks quickly, so make sure to start checking it after about 6 minutes. Remove from grill and served with rice.


** Happy National Doughnut Day! We'll be celebrating, will you?

Coming Sunday: Bringing a fun day in L.A. back home to my kitchen.