ThinkProof Cooking^TM
Chicken in Cheese Sauce: Meal Guide

A. Menu

Type	Informal Meal
Food	Chicken in Cheese Sauce, with Rice and Mangetout Peas Mississippi Mud Pie
Booze	White wine
Serves	Four diners; Starting 7.30pm
Sources	"Quick Cook", Thane Prince, Chatto & Windus, London, 1994, p56

B. Ingredients Checklist

Stuff to have or buy:

*Ingredient*	*Already have*	*To buy*
Shallot (one; but a small onion will do)
Mangetout peas (200g/7oz)
Butter (90g/3oz)
Milk (400ml/¾ pint; full-fat)
Cheddar cheese (115g/4oz)
Chicken breast (three large/four medium: 500g/18oz; skinless)
White rice (500g/18oz)
Olive oil (1tbsp)
Flour (30g/1oz)
Dijon mustard (½tsp)
Paprika (½tsp)
Chocolate digestive biscuits (200g/7oz)
Chocolate ice cream (600ml/1 pint)
Chocolate flake bars (two)
White wine

C. Pre-Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.six/seven hours (e.g. c.lunchtime)

How long?: Pre-preparation takes about 10 minutes

Ö
	1	Put wine in fridge
	2	Get a flan tin with a base that can be pushed out
	3	Melt 60g (2oz) butter carefully in a saucepan, or in a bowl in the microwave
	4	Put all the biscuits into a food processor and make into crumbs
	5	Pour the melted butter into the biscuit crumbs, and whizz round for a few more seconds
	6	Tip the mixture into the flan tin, and press down all around ensuring there is a raised edge all round
	7	Put into the freezer

D. Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.one hour (e.g. c.6pm)

How long?: Preparation takes about 10 minutes

Food Preparation

Ö
	1	Finely chop shallot
	2	Grate 115g (4oz) of cheese
	3	Measure out 30g (1oz) of butter
	4	Measure out 30g (1oz) of flour
	5	Wash mangetout peas

Note: Keep food fresh in containers; Any dairy/fish/meat in fridge

Timeline Preparation

Ö
	1	Get cooking implements ready:	Large saucepan for rice; Medium-large saucepan for peas; Medium saucepan for sauce; Cooking spoon; Colander to drain veg; Frying pan for chicken; Spatula; Large ovenproof dish for chicken
	2	Get serving implements ready:	Large flat serving plate for Pie; Large serving bowl for rice; Medium-large serving bowl for peas; Three serving spoons
	3	Get eating implements ready:	Large plates for first course; Small plates for pudding; Wine glasses; Cutlery
	4	Make sure ingredients are all to hand:	All prepared items; Olive oil; Chicken; Milk; Rice; Peas; Mustard; Paprika; Pepper grinder

E. Timeline Cooking^TM

Ö	*Abs*	*Rel*	*Your*
	6.50	0		Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan
	6.52	+2		Add shallot and cook briefly
	6.53	+3		Put frying pan onto medium heat and add chicken breasts
	6.55	+5		Melt 30g (1oz) butter in second, medium saucepan using gentle heat
	6.56	+6		Put 3 pints (1½l) fresh water on to boil in first saucepan
	6.57	+7		Stir in 30g (1oz) of flour until you get a paste
	6.58	+8		Gradually add ¾ pint (400ml) milk to the flour paste while stirring continuously to avoid lumps; Turn heat up to medium
	6.59	+9		Turn chicken breasts in frying pan
	7.02	+12		Keep heating and stirring sauce until it starts to simmer; Then simmer on gentle heat and stir
	7.04	+14		Turn chicken breasts once again in frying pan
	7.08	+18		Put 2 pints (1l) fresh water on to boil in third saucepan
	7.09	+19		Turn oven on to 190^oC/375^oF/Gas 5
	7.10	+20		Check chicken breasts are cooked through, and remove from heat
	7.11	+21		Add ½ teaspoon of mustard to the sauce; Add ½ teaspoon of paprika; Add a grind of pepper; Add 85g (3oz) of the cheese into sauce and stir
	7.13	+23		Put 500g (18oz) of rice into first saucepan
	7.15	+25		Put chicken into ovenproof dish; Cover with sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese; Don't put a lid on; Put into oven to bake
	7.23	+33		Put peas into third saucepan
	7.25	+35		Turn oven up to 200^oC/400^oF/Gas Mark 7 to help brown the cheese
	7.27	+37		Put chocolate ice-cream from freezer into fridge
	7.28	+38		Drain rice and put into serving bowl; Drain peas and put into serving bowl
	7.30	+40		Get chicken from oven and serve with rice and peas
	8.10	+80		Spoon and spread chocolate ice-cream into biscuit/pie shell; Push shell out of tin onto serving plate; Crumble flake bars over ice-cream and serve
	8.30	+100		Any remaining pie can go back in the freezer