When Packet Cooking Goes Over Big-Time

Friends invited over recently were slightly dismayed when I hoisted the lid of my Weber Performer and used my best spokesmodel hand-sweep to showcase the collection of large, labeled foil packets that contained their dinner. But murmurs of doubt gave way to requests for recipes once the meal was over, especially when those who insisted on helping with the cleanup realized there was very little to do.

Cooking in foil on a grill has obvious advantages for entertaining a crowd: It keeps the kitchen cool, there are no pots and pans waiting in the sink, and until the packets are opened, the food inside remains warm for a good bit of time. But this method of roasting and steaming requires some blind flying, because it is difficult to monitor the degree of doneness and the texture of the packets' contents.

That is not a huge obstacle; just bear it in mind when choosing a menu, and avoid ingredients that require real precision. For example, haricots verts are fine either al dente or cooked through, but mature string beans are indigestible if undercooked. Sugar snaps will hold up over time, but snow peas will not.

By keeping one side of the grill at direct medium-high heat (about 350 degrees) and the other at indirect medium-low heat, you can control the cooking process more efficiently.

Case in point: A foil packet containing a nice chunk of Chilean sea bass fillet on a bed of sliced mini-bell peppers, pitted marinated olives and whole Amorosa tomatoes served as the focal point for a midweek meal. Once the fish had cooked to an internal temperature of 130 degrees over direct heat, I moved that packet to the cooler side of the grill. The finished dish was ready for the platter in 30 minutes: tender, perfectly cooked fish atop a lush, Mediterranean-inspired vegetable compote.

Other packets that were on the grill at the same time yielded corn on the cob, glistening with a minimum of garlic-flavored oil; thyme-infused onions and wild mushrooms; lemon-scented green beans; and roasted potatoes and baby carrots flavored with an all-purpose herb mix made with the bounty of my deck garden. For dessert, ice cream provided a melting backdrop for two choices: figs roasted with apricot jam and vanilla bean, and apricots Melba.

As wafts of aromatic steam arose from each packet I opened grillside, my guests became believers in The Method. At evening's end, the sated were sent on their way, loaded with leftovers. Foil-wrapped, of course.

Former chef and restaurateur David Hagedorn writes the Food section's monthly Chef on Call column.