| Level: | Advanced |
| Total: | 2 hr 55 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 2 hr |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 (12 by 16-inch) sheets aluminum foil
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 2 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets, or other lightly textured fish
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, stems discarded
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup fresh basil, stems discarded
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 potatoes, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 yam, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 6 asparagus spears, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 10 peeled cloves garlic
- 2 large shallots, quartered
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs (thyme, tarragon, rosemary. . . whatever), stemmed and minced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Layer 3 sheets of aluminum foil on top of each another and use butter or oil to grease the top layer.
- Rinse fish and pat dry. Place the fish on the foil and squeeze lemon juice over top, then season with salt and pepper and herbs. Tightly seal foil package.
- Place on engine (see The Driver’s Manual below) and drive for approximately 100 km, (62.miles) or until fish is cooked throughout.
- Add both basil oil ingredients to a blender and puree. Let pureed mixture sit for 30 minutes if possible. Strain through a fine strainer. Discard solids. (makes about 1 cup, but all you need is a couple of tablespoons). Reserve.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, add oil and butter. When butter is melted, add carrots, potatoes, yam, asparagus, garlic and shallots. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are cooked throughout and caramelized on the outside. Add herbs, salt and pepper during the last few minutes of cooking. Serve with fish
- To serve, make a mound of succotash in the middle of each plate. Top with snapper and drizzle basil oil overtop.
- The Driver’s Manual:
- In preparation for your first car meal, you should start by locating your engine’s hot spots. Do this after any long drive by turning off the engine and letting the car sit for 15 minutes. Then lift up the hood and quickly tap the various components of the engine block. On most vehicles, the hottest area is the exhaust manifold cover, but most engines have additional nooks and crannies that will generate enough heat to slow-cook your freeway fare. Stay clear of areas near any moving parts such as the accelerator linkage, belts, or fans, and don’t block any air intakes.
- The sensible way (relatively speaking) to take advantage of the oven under your hood is to cook small portions of lightly textured foods. For this reason, fish is the perfect road chow. Before attempting any complex recipes, get to know your engine by cooking a hot dog (or tofu dog), the guinea pig of engine cooking.
- When you are ready to cook:
- ¿ Lay out 3 equal-size sheets of aluminum foil, one on top of the other.
- Proceed as if they were a single sheet.
- ¿ Grease the top sheet with a small amount of butter or olive oil to avoid
- stickage.
- ¿ Wrap ingredients in foil, then seal the seams by folding them over twice
- and tightly pinching them to create an airtight package. FYI, even
- perfectly sealed packages will leak small amounts of liquid.
- Before placing food on the engine, loosely roll up a 6-inch ball of foil, set it on top of the engine, and close the hood. Immediately reopen the hood and use the squashed ball to determine the amount of clearance space between it and the engine block. Set food on the predetermined sweet spot of your engine and secure it with a ball of foil that is equal to the clearance space less the pouch size. If you are cooking on a slanted section of the engine, strap the pouch in place with additional aluminum foil bracing. If you are cooking in a nook or cranny, be sure that package is secure.
- Make, model, speed, outside temperature, food density, and placement will all affect the cooking time. Most small packets of food should cook in 1 to 2 hours. To ensure that you have fingers left to lick at the end of the meal, always turn off the engine before loading, unloading, or testing for doneness.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 1726 |
| Total Fat | 138 g |
| Saturated Fat | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 88 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 45 g |
| Cholesterol | 108 mg |
| Sodium | 1915 mg |
Reviews
I’ve been making this succotash since Bob Blumer was doing the Surrel Gourmet. I watched the episode and the succotash looked so amazing I had to make it (not brave enough to cook on my engine, sorry!. After I had this most delightful dish, I proceded to my computer and purchased his cookbooks which have also been a delight to cook from. I miss his shows (haven’t seen him since Glutton for Punishment ended and I hope he comes back because his food is so delightful! If you ever make one thing, try the succotash and it will become your go-to side dish for years to come!
It’s amazing, a family favorite, easy to make…. Left overs are great for breakfast the next day. All 4 of my kids love it too. I have been making it for a couple of years now and have never been disappointed. It’s Surreal
I only crafted this recipe at the behest of Reverof my regal tablespoon. After a nasty run in with a ragamuffin from the streets we set off for my uncles house, a French Duke so persnickety some would classify him as a wayward (a disturber of the peace if you will). After meeting him for the second time in as many years I realized that his manor was not as grand as I originally thought but it was bizarre, not in a crazy voodoo sort with flesh-crafted furniture but bizarre in a baffling way. For example my uncle had certain rules within the house such as one could not eat soft cheese or bask in the glow of a sunset while drinking wine in a hammock. Rules such as these were horrifying to the average person of French decent (myself, through and through) because I loved participating in these things, inherently and without though. After spending a night gambling and talking to burlesque dancers I decided to wind down the quarter with a good meal (my stocks were doing great, I bought Apple at five) and so I chose this recipe for I like to live dangerously and this seemed like a recipe for danger and fulfillment, not just Six-Cylinder Snapper with Basil Oil and Succotash. But good day!
My wife hates asparagus…except for in this recipe. I got her to not only eat the succotash…she loves it! She has been begging for me to cook it again since I haven’t made it in weeks! I have to admit, I didn’t have the guts to do the fish on the engine, but the next road trip……….well…….who knows!!!