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The original was posted on /r/askculinary by /u/mart0n on 2023-09-22 11:48:30.
TL;DR: as title. There are lots of methods for cooking veg; in what circumstances is it better to bake veg in a foil parcel than use a different method?
I recently came across a recipe for carrots that involved putting the carrots in a foil parcel and baking them in the oven. I will say that I tried the recipe and I liked that the technique cooked large chunks of carrots well, though I couldn't help but thinking that simpler methods would have worked just as well. Why would one use this foil technique rather than using a steamer, or just roasting them?
I suppose I could add herbs or vinegar to the parcel, which wouldn't be possible with steaming, though I could easily add these flavourings if I was braising the carrots. The foil parcel also would prevent the colouring that would result from roasting, but again, I could achieve that with just boiling or steaming.
I'm asking because I'm sure this method has more potential, but Googling mostly leads me to recipes for cooking veg in foil in a barbecue.
By coincidence, I also recently enjoyed a bean stew in a restaurant, where the main veg ingredients were large, perfectly cooked chunks of carrot and potato. I'm wondering if this technique was used here.