Note: This dish is easy to pull together and looks great. Look for “How to Grill in Foil Packets”, Page 400, in How to Grill by Steven Raichlen (2001).
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces carrots, sliced sharply on the diagonal in 1/8-inch-thick pieces
Fennel – thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic cut into matchstick slivers
Coarse salt and black pepper
Sprigs of thyme
4 tablespoons of dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi Extra Dry)
4 fillets of snapper or sole, about 100 g each.
Directions
Place a sheet of tinfoil, shiny side down, one edge toward you on the work surface. Smear a small piece of butter in the center of the bottom half of the square. Arrange one quarter of the carrots and fennel in a mound on top of the butter. Arrange one-quarter of the garlic and thyme on top and season with salt and pepper. Put another small piece of butter on top. Place the fish on top.
Fold the top half of the tin foil over the vegetables and fish and bring the edges together. Fold each site over several times to make a tight seal on two sides. Place 1 tablespoon of dry vermouth in the packet and seal the remaining edge. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form three more packets. They can be prepared a bit in advance. Keep them refrigerated, but let them return to room temperature before grilling.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
When ready to cook, arrange the foil packets on the hot grate. Grill until the packets are puffed out, 8 – 10 minutes. Serve at once.
Warn your guests to cut into the top of the packets with a knife and fork and to turn their faces away. There will be a blast of steam when they’re opened.