Cooking question

[Noz]

Miss Lorrie just made a salmon recipe that is super good. The recipe call for 2 pieces of foil for each piece of salmon. One side with the foil shiny in and the other with the foil shiny side out. The dull sides are together.

Does anyone know why that would be?

 

 

 

Here's the recipe:

 

Taste of the Ozarks recipe for one-pouch salmon dinner

One-pouch salmon dinner

8 10 x 10 sheets of aluminum foil
4 6-ounce portions of hearty fish
32 fresh green beans
1 cup of cherry tomatoes halved
4 tablespoons of pesto
Two lemons, cut in half

• Place down one sheet of aluminum foil, topped with a second sheet of aluminum foil
• In the center of the foil, line up eight of the green beans
• Top with 1 piece of the salmon
• Spread 1 tablespoon of the pesto on top of the salmon
• Top with 1/4 of the cut tomatoes
• Squeeze one half lemon over salmon and vegetables
• Fold foil over salmon
• Repeat with other three pieces of salmon
• Place in 375-degree oven for 25 minutes, or until salmon is cooked all the way through

Recipe serves four.

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

No idea because it doesn't matter which side is in or out unless you are using the "non-stick" foil.

[Sparky Nelson]

The shiny sides reflect away more heat. The dull sides absorb more heat. But I don't know if it's enough of a difference to notice in this case.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

The salmon likes shiny things.

 

But why they put it on the outside, I have no idea.

[G W Wade]

shiny side = dull side is just a byproduct of manufacturing. makes no difference in you cooking GW

[ShadowCatcher]

It's dark in the oven, so the shiney side thing is bogus and irrelevant!

Foil transfers heat the way it does without regard to shiney versus dull side!

 

SC

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

The person who writes the recipe does not always have a good reason for writing what they write.

 

Reminds of the one about cooking a roast beef, cut a little bit of both ends.

 

 

Btw, do you know why there is a shiny side and a dull side?

[Colt B.A. Blastn Johnson]

The shiny sides reflect away more heat. The dull sides absorb more heat. But I don't know if it's enough of a difference to notice in this case.

This person stated what I was gonna tell you, and yes it makes that much of a difference

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I think this calls for an experiment. Is there anything else in the recipe? I suspect yes since the base note does not mention placement of the shiny and dull sides.

 

The base note mentions 2 10x10 sheets of aluminum foil per wrap. My experience suggests that this is the cheapest and thinnest foil available, thus two pieces. Probably the type of foil one would find in Europe. With the foil I buy, I think a single layer would be sufficient but the two sides method would be meaningless.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Perhaps the person that wrote the recipe had a big debate in mind.

 

 

Hey, it could happen!

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

I think it is more about doing things consistently to get consistent results. If you control as many variables as possible it is easier to repeat results. This one may be overkill, but since it is a simple thing to do, I would try and follow the recipe

[Noz]

The TV demonstration indicated that the dull sides be placed together with the shiny sides toward the food and the oven.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Well since 10x10 foil sheets are not a grocery store item around here, and any foil I buy would likely be a different thickness and thicker (in the USA), I would rewrite the recipe to use materials I can find and a single thickness of foil.