Cousin Jim Bob Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 5 minutes ago, SuperBacon said: Thanks @Carbomb and @Dead Mike that's really helpful and I can see some that I can easily make. I really need to get over my fear of cooking chicken as 1.) It's ridiculous and 2.) I love chicken. Bone in chicken thighs are easy to cook and are more forgiving than chicken breast. They can take a bit of over cooking without drying out. Just coat in oil and some herbs/spices and bung them in the airfryer or oven. Is it fear of under cooking the chicken putting you off ? You can get decent meat thermometers of Amazon for less than a tenner. Very handy with chicken or any roasts to know when they are done. One of my favourite kitchen gadgets that gets loads of use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 4 minutes ago, Cousin Jim Bob said: Is it fear of under cooking the chicken putting you off ? It absolutely is yes. I catastrophise and before you know it, my chicken curry has killed me and everyone within a 10 mile radius. Thank you so much for the advice I'll definitely get a thermometer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Dead Mike Posted February 29 Paid Members Share Posted February 29 Get a slow cooker! You can bung all the ingredients in & not have to worry about coordinating timings, multiple pans or burning anything. We use our loads & not just for casseroles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted February 29 Paid Members Share Posted February 29 *FirstWorldBellendAlert* A good meat thermometer is essential. Getting one transformed the cookery of all meats for me. *FirstWorldBellendAlert* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted February 29 Paid Members Share Posted February 29 (edited) I agree with @Cousin Jim Bob about using thigh meat, especially on the bones (for flavour as well as cooking) - it's very difficult to dry them out through overcooking. The other thing is that, if you make chicken dishes like a fricassee, i.e. cooking the meat in the pan and making the sauce with it in the pan at the same time, it becomes very difficult to undercook it, because you have to cook the sauce for some time, and the sauce will cook the meat for you. BTW, a very basic point, but it can be forgotten: low-medium to medium heat is your friend. Cooking it on a high heat is the easiest way to cause the problems you fear, as it will be cooked outside but not inside. Edited February 29 by Carbomb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 14 minutes ago, Dead Mike said: Get a slow cooker! You can bung all the ingredients in & not have to worry about coordinating timings, multiple pans or burning anything. We use our loads & not just for casseroles. Yep, I have one! And I have no idea why I don't ever use it. I'm an idiot, the last two pages have clearly shown. 11 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said: A good meat thermometer is essential. Bring back Out Of Context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members mim731 Posted February 29 Paid Members Share Posted February 29 (edited) 23 minutes ago, SuperBacon said: Yep, I have one! And I have no idea why I don't ever use it. I'm an idiot, the last two pages have clearly shown. Bring back Out Of Context. Pick this up (it's normally in The Works etc). It's excellent, super easy and most recipes are "chop ingredients, bung in slowcooker". There's evena second edition called "Even easier". Alternatively, https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search?q=slow+cooker is a great place to start. Edited February 29 by mim731 “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrey Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 (edited) 3 hours ago, SuperBacon said: It absolutely is yes. I catastrophise and before you know it, my chicken curry has killed me and everyone within a 10 mile radius. Thank you so much for the advice I'll definitely get a thermometer. Honestly, I'm an almost lifelong vegetarian and I manage to cook chicken curry for my kids without poisoning anyone. Just try making it, it won't be as difficult as you think. I literally pull a piece out and try to break it with a fork, the texture is usually a giveaway as to whether it's cooked or not as well as the internal colour of the chicken. If it's not cooked, I leave it on the stove for another 5 minutes and then check again. If needed, I add a little bit of boiled water to add extra gravy/make sure it doesn't stick or burn. Edited February 29 by deathrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lorne Malvo Posted March 19 Paid Members Share Posted March 19 Apologies if this is the incorrect thread, but does anyone have any recommendations for a good smoothie maker/blender? It doesn't have to be anything particularly high-end, just something I can throw a bit of fruit in in the morning to keep me off the bacon baps. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrey Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 I have a Nutribullet. It is a little on the expensive side but is excellent. You can use the container you blend with as your glass, you get a lid with it so can take it on the go if you wish. The blades are powerful, so I can use frozen fruit in it with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merzbow Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Pretty much zero effort cooking here but I found that putting just some Lee Kum Kee chili oil in plain rice is somehow one of the nicest things ever for how simple it is, I'm going to be trying different brands like Lao Gan Ma as I hear they have pretty different flavor profiles being from different parts of China. The stuff is great in ramen, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators neil Posted March 19 Moderators Share Posted March 19 1 hour ago, Merzbow said: Lao Gan Ma as I hear they have pretty different flavor profiles There is quite a variety just within Lao Gan Ma, check out this video from the amazing Chinese Cooking Demystified channel  One of my regular meals is white rice, couple fried eggs, and lao gan ma on top. Delicious. The one with black beans is really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 On 3/19/2024 at 9:54 AM, Lorne Malvo said: Apologies if this is the incorrect thread, but does anyone have any recommendations for a good smoothie maker/blender? It doesn't have to be anything particularly high-end, just something I can throw a bit of fruit in in the morning to keep me off the bacon baps. Thanks in advance! If you're that way inclined, I've just noticed Amazon have a fair few reduced in a new sale, including a nutribullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted March 22 Moderators Share Posted March 22 On 3/19/2024 at 1:28 PM, neil said: One of my regular meals is white rice, couple fried eggs, and lao gan ma on top. Delicious. Â Lunch today inspired by this comment. 10/10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Jim Bob Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Seen a few supermarkets are doing cheap veg for Easter. Aldi's from Tuesday the 26th is 19p each for 2kg white potatoes, 1kg carrots, 3 large brown onions, a large garlic, a swede, a white or red cabbage and a bag of fresh rosemary. If it is like the Christmas veg deals, you want to try and get there early each day.  Think I'm going to make a huge chicken stew out of them and live of that for a bit to save some money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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