Tips for cooking in foil:
- use thicker foil, since thin foil can tear during baking and all the juices and part of the food can simply fall out of it;
- Sprinkle vegetable oil on the side of the foil on which you will bake so that food does not stick to it;
- when placing ingredients, the meat should always be placed down, and then the vegetables (side dish) on top, since meat takes more time to cook;
- When cooking meat, place vegetables with a high moisture content, such as tomatoes and onions, in foil. They will give the meat additional juiciness;
- After cooking, carefully open the foil package so as not to get burned by the hot steam escaping from it.
Advantages of foil
The scope of use of foil in food handling is incredibly wide. It carries the function of protecting food raw materials, is used as utensils, and besides, it can hardly be found at least one negative side.
- Foil does not oxidize.
- It is not toxic.
- It does not need to be washed as it is classified for one-time use.
- This paper is light and compact, and there is a place for it in any kitchen, even the smallest one.
And this is only a small fraction of its advantages. Her versatility is simply amazing. Foil is used for confectionery products, for freezing, storing and baking. As for high-temperature treatments, we will dwell here in more detail.
Foil has truly amazing capabilities in simulating the processing of products over an open fire, in particular baking over a fire, that is, grilling or over coals, like on a barbecue.
She is also able to recreate with striking similarity the culinary creations of Russian ovens and the cooking of vegetables in ash. And all this is possible without leaving comfortable homes, with minimal time and physical costs, and here it is not necessary to have the rank of chef of an elite restaurant; foil will do everything itself and in the best possible way. Amazing, right?
Flounder on rice and spinach bed
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- Flounder - 2 pieces;
- Instant rice - 4 bags;
- Fresh spinach - 100 g;
- Creamy curd cheese - 160 g;
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 4 tbsp;
- Cilantro (or parsley) - 0.5 bunch;
- Lemon juice - 2 tbsp;
- Olive oil - 2 tbsp;
- Salt - to taste;
- Ground black pepper - to taste.
Wash the fish, clean it, cut it into 4 fillets. Season the fillet with salt and pepper, add lemon juice, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped cilantro and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Boil rice according to package instructions. Prepare four large double sheets of foil, measuring 45 cm by 30 cm. Place rice in the middle of each piece of foil, half a fish fillet on top, and cover with spinach. Add cream cheese and the second part of the fish fillet. Close the foil tightly on all sides. Bake at 200° for 10 minutes.
Original beef on the bone in the oven baked in foil
I like oven-baked meat on the bone more than grilled meat. It is also much more useful. And it’s quite quick and easy to prepare. First you need to marinate it, and then just wrap it in foil. And an hour later you have a delicious, appetizing dish on the table. So let's start cooking without wasting any time.
I have several small pieces of meat on the bone. I'll wrap them all in foil together. Although, you can pack each one separately.
Required ingredients:
- pieces of veal on the bone - 2 kg
- ground black pepper
- ground allspice
- mustard seed
- khmeli-suneli
- salt
Take the same amount of each seasoning. For example, 5 grams.
Steps for cooking beef on the bone:
1. The meat must be thoroughly washed. Trim excess fat, remove film. Dry with a paper towel. Young veal is best for this recipe. It will cook faster and be more tender.
2. Combine spices in a small bowl. Pour in a mixture of peppers, black pepper, suneli hops and salt. Mix. Rub the pieces of meat on all sides with this mixture. Place all the pieces in a bowl and cover. To get a richer taste, you need to let it sit for a while. For example, about an hour. And only then bake.
3. Turn on the oven to warm up to 180 degrees. While the oven is heating, wrap the meat in a double layer of foil.
4. You can pack each piece separately, but together they will be juicier. Wrapping it tightly in foil, place the bones in the oven to bake. Baking will take approximately 1 hour.
5. After an hour, if you want to brown the dish, unwrap the foil and let the meat fry a little.
This hot dish is perfect for any holiday. It can be served as a separate dish or with a side dish. It looks very appetizing on the table. And the taste is simply amazing!
Teriyaki shrimp with ramen noodles
- King prawns - 400 g;
- Dry ramen noodles (you can use “doshirak”) - 4 briquettes;
- Canned pineapple (pieces) - 230 g;
- Sweet red pepper - 1 pc.;
- Teriyaki sauce - 100 ml;
- Soy sauce - 2 tbsp;
- Ground chili pepper - to taste;
- Vegetable oil for lubricating foil;
- Green onion;
- White sesame.
Place peeled shrimp, pineapple pieces, diced bell peppers into a cup, pour in teriyaki sauce and soy sauce, season to taste with ground red pepper, and stir.
In another bowl, place briquettes of dry ramen noodles, broken into four pieces, pour boiling water over them, cover with a lid and leave to brew for 2-3 minutes.
Prepare four large sheets of foil, folded in half, grease the inside with vegetable oil. Place noodles in the middle of each sheet and top with shrimp mixture. Wrap the foil carefully. Bake in a preheated oven at 200° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and open carefully to avoid being burned by the steam. Serve with teriyaki sauce, chopped green onions and white sesame seeds.
Pork cutlet with white beans and cherry tomatoes
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- Pork cutlet - 4 pcs.;
- White beans in their juice (canned) - 2 cans;
- Cherry tomatoes - 500 g;
- Green basil - 0.5 bunch;
- Zucchini (zucchini) - 2 pcs.;
- Fresh cilantro - 2 tbsp;
- Olive oil (vegetable) - 1 tbsp;
- Salt - to taste;
- Ground black pepper - to taste.
Salt and pepper the meat, add 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp. olive oil, stir, leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Drain the juice from the beans, put in a bowl, add cherry tomatoes cut in half, chopped basil, salt and pepper. Prepare four large double sheets of foil measuring 45 x 30 cm. Place a pork cutlet in the middle of each sheet, place zucchini slices next to it, add salt and pepper on top. Place beans and cherry tomatoes on top of the zucchini and meat. Close the foil tightly and bake at 200° for 15-20 minutes.
What are the differences between the sides of food-grade aluminum foil?
photo of a rolled roll of food foil before use
Aluminum foil is made not only from the mineral of the same name, but also with the addition of other alloys. The thickness of the sheet is equal to the diameter of a human hair.
To give strength to such a thin product, it is made by gluing 2 parts, between which a layer of liquid is applied.
Industrial rollers, located like a wringer on Soviet-style washing machines, press the aluminum sheet to the required thickness.
As a result of contact with the surface of the shaft, one side of the foil acquires a glossy sheen, while the other side remains matte.
These sides differ slightly in their reflective properties:
- shiny - about 90%
- matte - 80%
White fish fillet with couscous
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- White fish fillet - 4 pcs.;
- Couscous - 300 g;
- Water for couscous - 450 ml;
- Spinach - 100 g;
- Yellow sweet pepper - 2 pcs.;
- Cilantro - 0.5 bunch;
- Salt - to taste;
- Ground black pepper - to taste;
- Vegetable oil - 5 tbsp;
- Lemon juice - 3 tbsp.
Wash the fish fillet, dry it, salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl, mix 3 tbsp. lemon juice and 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Brush the fish with this sauce and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Pour 450 ml of water, 3 tbsp into a large saucepan. vegetable oil, add 1 tsp. salt. Bring the water in the saucepan to a boil, remove from heat, add couscous and cover tightly with a lid. Leave the couscous to steam for 5 minutes. Chop spinach leaves and cilantro. Cut the sweet pepper into cubes. Fluff the finished couscous with a fork, add bell pepper, cilantro and spinach, mix everything.
Prepare four double sheets of foil. Grease the middle of the foil with vegetable oil, place the couscous there, and place the marinated fish fillet on it. Close the foil tightly on all sides. Place all four wrapped foil envelopes on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 200° for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open the top of the envelope and place under the grill for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro.
Food preparation
Speaking about the advantages of foil, we attributed unheard-of possibilities to this kitchen assistant, but one should not naively believe that the aroma and taste of the dish depends solely on the metal wrapper.
Preparing the ingredients is already the work of the cook, which is also of phenomenal importance in this entire culinary epic.
And here, again, several features should be noted, because different products require specific pre-treatment before baking them in foil, and tableware practice will not help here.
Meat
When preparing meat, pay attention to the presence of bones. If there are sharp, protruding bone elements, they should be removed so that they do not damage the integrity of the sealed packaging and, as a result, do not lead to damage to the dish.
Meat does not tolerate water treatments, so it should be cleaned from various damages and contaminants exclusively by dry cleaning. However, if you had to bathe a piece of meat, you should dry it thoroughly with a napkin or roll it in flour or bran before packing it in foil.
Bird
Birds are a special “customer” of foil packaging. There are many bones in the carcass, which can break through the foil during cooking due to the fact that when heated, the meat first increases in size and then contracts again, which causes movement of the bone elements.
This is why chicken or duck carcasses are often tied or stitched, thus immobilizing them, before being wrapped in metal-like paper.
Individual pieces (legs, wings and others like them) must be beaten with a hammer in the area of the joints and in the places where the bones are located. This measure will destroy their strong connection with the fillet.
Fish
When placed in foil, a fish carcass must be free of all fins, in particular the tail, as well as any elements that could burn before the fish meat is cooked.
Meatballs with champignons and vegetables
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- Minced beef - 1 kg;
- Worcestershire sauce - 2-3 tbsp;
- Garlic - 2 cloves;
- Fresh cilantro - 2 tbsp;
- Salt - to taste;
- Ground black pepper - to taste;
- Champignons - 400 g;
- Fresh young corn - 2 cobs;
- Zucchini - 2 pcs.;
- Red bell pepper - 1 pc.;
- Ground coriander - 0.5 tsp;
- Ground paprika - 1 tsp;
- Garlic powder - 0.5 tsp;
- Salt - to taste;
- Ground black pepper - to taste;
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp;
- Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp.
Add Worcestershire sauce, chopped fresh cilantro, grated garlic, salt, pepper to the ground beef, mix everything well and stick on small meatballs. Cut the champignons in half, the cobs of corn into four pieces, the zucchini into slices, and the red bell pepper into cubes. Place all the vegetables in a large cup, add spices, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and mix everything evenly. Place vegetables in the middle of a large double sheet of foil. Place meatballs on top. Close the foil tightly on all sides and bake in a heated oven. Bake at 200° for 20 minutes.
Vegetables
Before baking, garden crops must be washed and cleaned to remove all damage and defects.
Root vegetables can be baked as a whole, and the output will be baked products. You can also chop the vegetables into slices and place them in a foil bag, but in this case the dish will look more like stewed-boiled.
