[Macros]

I was sure we already had a cookery thread, couldn't find it anywhere.

Anyway, Im a reasonable cook but my menu is quite limited.

Im intending on having a few people round for dinner either next weekend or in 3 weeks time.
Will be feeding about 10.

Would like to do something savory chickenesque for the main. The sides will be roasted veg and creamy irsh mashed potatoes.
Starter possibly just parmesan garlic wedges, with bacon.

Any ideas for the main chicken?

[Tsundoku]

Guinness chicken?

[Mezla PigDog]

I'm in comfort mode so can't think of any "fancy" recipes. Beer butt chicken is good fun and tastes nice. Google Jamie Olivers recipe. It's pretty much "novelty roast chicken". Might not fit in the oven with your roast veg though.

Or some form of chicken pie? If you say yes I have a good recipe for chicken, ham and leek. Pies look quite impressive and you can lie about buying ready made pastry if you don't want to risk it. I never make my own anymore, I'm too lazy and you can't taste the difference.

Or the always dependable butterfly breast/thigh, stuff with some combo of cheese and herbs, roll up, wrap in bacon/pancetta and fry or bake.

This post has been edited by Mezla PigDog: 16 January 2016 - 04:36 PM

[Macros]

I think with 10 the beer can chicken would need to be a monster bird, have cooked it before, is delicious.
Possibly breasts wrapped in bacon, what type of marinade would work well in that situation?

[Mezla PigDog]

You could do 2 beer chickens if your oven is big enough.

No marinade for the bacon wrapped chicken (streaky bacon is better than back bacon), the bacon keeps it moist from the outside and the filling from the inside. Stuff with blue cheese and sage (and some crumbled black pudding if you are that way inclined) or a creamy mild cheese (mozzarella or ricotta), a bit of garlic and whatever italian herbs you have or tarragon. Season the filling rather than the outside as the bacon adds salt to the outside. You buy either breast or thighs and butterfly them or escalopes. Either way bash them to flatten and stretch out. Stuff with cheesy mix, roll, wrap, fix with toothpicks. Fry them off for 5 min's then in the oven for 20 or just bung them in the oven for 30. Bake them a bit longer if they are all quite snug in the oven dish. You can make a sauce by deglazing your pan/oven dish with white wine, a bit of chicken stock and some cream but it might get too rich that way. Practise on yourself with different fillings and then decide what you like best - anything that works with chicken and bacon is fair game.

My stomach is rumbling now.

This post has been edited by Mezla PigDog: 16 January 2016 - 07:49 PM

[HoosierDaddy]

Hey Briar, I love me some Cajun. Can you tell me what all spices are included? I use Cayenne and Smoked Paprika regularly, but I'd like a little more balance with more heat that isn't overwhelming.

[worry]

A pinch of crawdad, a nibble of catfish, and just a chomp of gator.

[Andorion]

I read all this before breakfast and now its starting to look inadequate

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm talking beyond gumbo or jambalaya. Just in general cajun seasonings. I'm thinking Popeyes with actual, legitimate spices, not that mass produced flavor. Spicy, hot, but not crazy hot.

[Slow Ben]

Raging Cajun Gator King, on 17 January 2016 - 04:55 AM, said:

Slap Ya Mama is damn good. It's in line with Tony's but a bit more of a kick to it.

My friend really likes another brand but I'm blanking on its name. I ll find out.

Can't go wrong with Mrs. Dash or Zatiranes products those should be all over US except maybe a few mixes of it.

I put Slap Ya Mama on everything.

The flavor is amazing. But it's not spicy.

Tony's is good also.

This post has been edited by Slow Ben: 17 January 2016 - 05:05 AM

[Slow Ben]

Ha. I loaded up, then ordered off amazon but they'll have it at Walmart every now and then.

[Mezla PigDog]

I make gumbo. No idea how authentic it is because I've never tasted a proper one. The problem is a lack of availability of the Cajun meat or seafood so I kind of make do. My spices are cayenne pepper and Tabasco. It's absolutely lovely even if it's not right. I do cajun blackened fish steaks on the bbq in summer too. Mmmmmmm.

[Macros]

Really like the idea of this stuff wrapped chicken mez, thanks.
Will do a trial run on the family next weekend and host dinner in feb.

[Morgoth]

Another alternative, if you want something of a similar theme, is a turkey roll. You get a large turkey steak (basically deboned turkey breast). Slize it down the center almost all the way and fold it out so that you almost double the surface are. Hammer it flat, say down to a few cm in thickness.

Now, you can fill this thing with whatever you like, but try using something that will help prevent it from going dry. Last time I fried chopped bacon, onions, garlic and mushrooms and mixed it all with cream cheese when the bacon was done. I also added thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Take the whole mixture and cover the surface area of the turkey.

The following part sounds a lot trickier than it is. Get some baking twine. Roll the turkey and tie it up with the twine. Cook it in the oven at 180 c for about an hour. Use a cooking thermometer and aim for 65-67 c.

I served this for new years with a sweet potato purée, a steamed red cabbage thing that we do here, salad and a white wine sauce. It was a big success

The charm of this dish is that you can prepare all the stuff way in advance and it looks really impressive when served.

edit: I realise reading mez post properly that she suggested the same thing just with chicken, more or less. I read filled chicken and just assumed she was talking about a whole chicken. I should learn to read.

This post has been edited by Morgoth: 17 January 2016 - 11:13 AM

[Macros]

reading is over rated in Finland.

when people say cream cheese, do they mean like a philadephia type thing or what?
and blue cheese, is that like the mouldy stuff, stilton and that?

[Morgoth]

Macros, on 17 January 2016 - 12:05 PM, said:

reading is over rated in Finland.

when people say cream cheese, do they mean like a philadephia type thing or what?
and blue cheese, is that like the mouldy stuff, stilton and that?

yes and yes. Though there's a lot of variety to blue cheese.

[Macros]

ok, good to know, I've been told I'm cooking for fam tonight, so im going to try this stuffed chickedn breast wrapped in bacon, irish mash and roasted veg.
for a sauce, i'm a dab hand at parsley sauce, but theres not much flavour to it, more just an accompanyment to ensure a meal isn't too dry.

[Mezla PigDog]

Blue cheese - silton, gorgonzola, Danish blue, something like that. Strong and mouldy, it will be nice with sage. Probably won't go so well with parsley sauce.

Creamy cheese - fresh mozzarella will have the best consistency after it is cooked but ricotta or Philly is fine. Just the more runny it is the harder it is to get it to stay put when it is cooking, you can add breadcrumbs to bulk it out in that case. More likely to go with parsley sauce if you put a bit of parsley, basil and lemon zest in the stuffing.

[Macros]

Ok, will try cream cheese with the parsley, basil and lemon zest (zest if the skin right??)

[Mezla PigDog]

Yes just the bright yellow bit. Not the white bit underneath.

Hope it comes out tasting good now!