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Food

Chicken for dinner.

(45 Posts)
annsixty Wed 15-Sep-21 11:47:50

Do you serve chicken occasionally for dinner or supper for guests?
I was reminded this morning that two of my friends never do and in fact they both consider it a cheap option and not really dinner party food.
Let’s not get into free range chicken and the cost of that, I am talking chicken in general.

I have ,in the past often served it in lots of ways, it is so versatile, coq up vin, paprika chicken. In a cream mushroom and white wine sauce, just to name a few.
I wouldn’t serve up roast with veg, that is a family meal I think.

Also it is easy to prepare earlier and not leave guests alone.

Of course neither of us are wrong or right.
I just wondered about other people’s views.

kittylester Wed 15-Sep-21 11:52:49

I'm with you Ann. Paprika chicken is my go to for quests, second go to is marsala chicken, then chicken with tomatoes and rosemary.

The thing about chicken, in my view, is that it is reliable and unspoilable.

annsixty Wed 15-Sep-21 11:55:22

Love Marsala chicken kitty but I can’t seem to get dry Marsala from the supermarket and I don’t get out to shop anymore,

GagaJo Wed 15-Sep-21 11:56:38

Not sure how a type of meat can 'not be dinner party food'. It depends what you do with it!

ElaineI Wed 15-Sep-21 12:01:08

We hardly have anyone but family but chicken is our favourite meal. Have lots of recipes. Also like lasagne and Italian food but DD1 won't eat mince so do chicken when she is coming.

annsixty Wed 15-Sep-21 12:05:59

I did say Gagajo they consider it a cheap option.

kittylester Wed 15-Sep-21 14:56:01

annsixty

Love Marsala chicken kitty but I can’t seem to get dry Marsala from the supermarket and I don’t get out to shop anymore,

I use sweet, the sauce also has Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and mushroom ketchup and is fine - or so I'm told!! grin

JaneJudge Wed 15-Sep-21 15:07:01

a cheap option shock I think it's absolutely fine!

Riverwalk Wed 15-Sep-21 15:25:20

I sometimes serve chicken to guests and it's not cheap as only ever buy organic/free range, but often do lamb, by way of tagine-style or a slow roasted leg or shoulder.

I understand why many people serve chicken as it's so versatile and most people eat it, whereas some don't like pork or fish.

Deedaa Wed 15-Sep-21 15:33:44

The important thing about a meal is not whether it's expensive Welsh Lamb or cheap chicken, it's how it is cooked! A rotten cook will spoil a piece of meat no matter how expensive it is. A good cook can make a tasty meal out of anything.

A tasty recipe, something nice for dessert and an attractive table setting. What more do you need?

kittylester Wed 15-Sep-21 15:35:33

I think there is little doubt that chicken is a cheaper meat and some people might be sniffy about it for that reason.aaaa

Nortsat Wed 15-Sep-21 15:47:37

We love Coq au vin, which is always enjoyed by family members and plates are always cleaned.
I do buy free range chicken as the supermarket chickens can lack flavour.

Incidentally we were at a Michelin starred restaurant last week (it’s not a common occurrence here!) having the tasting menu and the main course was a chicken dish!

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-Sep-21 15:49:37

Not so cheap if you buy organic free range, and you will need at least 2 for sufficient meat if you decide to serve a roast with all the trimmings.

Absolutely delicious!

Jaxjacky Wed 15-Sep-21 16:14:25

Chicken’s MrJ’s favourite, it’s very versatile, I cook it a lot, casserole, curry, lasagna, roast, bbq etc, a very odd sort of food snobbery considering it cheap. Having said that, last time there were 8 of us I cooked pulled pork, we ate in the garden and used kitchen roll as serviettes. We don’t have ‘best’ china or even possess a table cloth, so it’s very informal, if you get matching cutlery, you’ll be lucky!

Lucca Wed 15-Sep-21 17:02:40

kittylester

I think there is little doubt that chicken is a cheaper meat and some people might be sniffy about it for that reason.aaaa

Would you want such people as dinner guests ?!

kittylester Wed 15-Sep-21 17:06:50

I wouldn't. Didn't say I would but Ann mentioned people she knows who were. And, I am sure there are other people who are. I know someone who thinks it's common to eat chicken skin - she is not a friend.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-Sep-21 18:06:02

Ooh chicken skin- yum!

lemongrove Wed 15-Sep-21 18:11:12

M&S chickens are very tasty.
I do a chicken recipe now and again for guests, it’s so versatile that you never need cook the same thing twice.I also do salmon for guests, both chicken and salmon cheaper than buying beef or lamb.Pork is cheap too, and plenty of good recipes for it, but not everyone likes it.

kittylester Wed 15-Sep-21 18:49:00

Whitewavemark2

Ooh chicken skin- yum!

WWM2, that's why she is not a friend. grin Actually, she has random ideas of what is common - rather like my mother!

Witzend Wed 15-Sep-21 19:12:45

I’ve done roast chicken more than once for guests who were staying. Everybody always seems to enjoy it - and the accompanying crispy roast potatoes (lots!) and proper gravy. Though a niece always wanted mashed potatoes with it.

TBH I’d just as soon have that as any fancier chicken dish - and it’s easy. Ours are always free range, and every scrap will be used up, inc. stock from the carcass.

MiniMoon Wed 15-Sep-21 19:55:42

I love butter chicken, and have made it when having friends round for dinner. You can make chicken into something really special. I don't regard it as a cheap meal.

Blossoming Wed 15-Sep-21 19:58:35

Give them spam grin I love tarragon chicken and would e more than happy to be served it at dinner.

annsixty Wed 15-Sep-21 20:20:11

I am so pleased that everyone agrees with my views that chicken, well cooked, can be a special meal, and I will continue to cook it and serve it on the very few occasions I entertain, they are very few and far between now.

kittylester Thu 16-Sep-21 07:51:04

How could I forget Tarragon Chicken!!! It's the reason I planted tarragon!

TillyTrotter Thu 16-Sep-21 07:59:11

I agree annsixty. A meal was cooked for us by a family member and it was Lemon Chicken , one of Mary Berry’s recipes.
It was really delicious, well presented at the table and we helped ourselves. It’s made with chicken thighs which makes it inexpensive.
I have cooked it often since and would be happy to feed it to guests.