ThinkProof Cooking^TM
Chicken Risotto: Meal Guide

A. Menu

Type	Informal Meal
Food	Garlic Bread, and Avocado with Curried Sauce Chicken, Tarragon and Parmesan Risotto, with Salad Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries
Booze	White wine; e.g. chardonnay
Serves	Six diners; Starting 7.30pm
Sources	"The Best of Sainsbury's Entertaining", Cathay Books, London, 1986, p12 "Sainsbury's Quick Cuisine", Thane Prince, Martin Books, Cambridge, 1993, p35 "Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course", Delia Smith, BBC Books, London, 1995, p583
Notes	Uses a microwave: you can melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of hot water instead

B. Ingredients Checklist

Stuff to have or buy:

*Ingredient*	*Already have*	*To buy*
Parsley (small bunch; fresh)
Tarragon (bunch; fresh)
Garlic (two cloves)
Avocados (three; large, ripe and good quality)
Onions (two; medium)
Olives (three black; three green)
Salad (packet for six; e.g. Italian salad)
Lemon (one; medium)
Strawberries (500g/18oz)
Parmesan cheese (90g/3oz)
Butter (90g/3oz)
Whipped cream (150ml/5floz)
Fromage frais (200ml/7floz; 8% fat)
Chicken breast (two medium: 225g/9oz; skinless)
Bacon (two slices)
Eggs (eight; medium/large)
Rice (500g/18oz; risotto/Arborio)
Garlic bread (two sticks)
Sun-dried tomato (nine pieces; in oil)
Olive oil (3tbsps)
Plain chocolate (350g/12oz)
Mayonnaise (200ml/7floz)
Curry powder (2tsps)
Tabasco sauce (2 drops)
Black pepper
Chicken stock cubes (3)
Salad dressing (4tbsps; e.g. red pepper/sun-dried tomato)
Rum (3tbsps)
White wine (e.g. chardonnay)

C. Pre-Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.6 hours (e.g. c.1pm)

How long?: Pre-preparation takes about 40 minutes

Ö
	1	Put wine in fridge
	2	Separate the yolks from the whites of six eggs (e.g. break the egg carefully in half; hold onto one half and let the white pour out whilst retaining the yolk in the half your're holding)
	3	Beat the six yolks in a bowl with a fork until smooth
	4	Break 350g (12oz) of plain chocolate into a large glass bowl and carefully microwave until smooth (30s at a time on a medium-power setting, making sure you don't boil/burn the chocolate)
	5	Add the beaten egg yolks to the chocolate and mix thoroughly with a fork; Then set aside this mixture to cool for at least 30 minutes
	6	To make the sauce for the avocados, start by putting two teaspoons of curry powder in a large bowl (no, not the one with the chocolate in – a new one)
	7	Crush two garlic cloves into the bowl
	8	Add 200ml (7fl.oz) of mayonnaise and 200ml (7fl.oz) of fromage frais into bowl, and mix together
	9	Add two drops of Tabasco sauce and a grind of pepper; Mix thoroughly
	10	Cover bowl and place into fridge
	11	Now, return to the chocolate mousse: beat the six egg whites with a whisk (hand or electric) until peaks will just stand up on the mixture
	12	Ensure the chocolate is cool, then use a spatula to carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate
	13	Spoon the chocolate/egg mixture into a serving bowl; Cover and place into fridge to cool

D. Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.1¼ hours (e.g. c.5.30pm)

How long?: Preparation takes about 30 minutes

Food Preparation

Ö
	1	Hard-boil two eggs
	2	While eggs are boiling, grill two slices of bacon until crisp
	3	Fine chop six sprigs parsley (enough to make 1 tablespoon)
	4	Once eggs are cooked, medium chop them
	5	Fine smash/chop bacon into granule-type pieces
	6	Mix parsley, egg and bacon together; Allow to cool if necessary
	7	Once cool, mix parsley/egg/bacon into avocado filling mixture made earlier; Put back into fridge
	8	Fine chop three black and three green olives; Mix, and set aside
	9	Slice lemon to give six thinnish slices; Cut each slice half-across and re-pack together
	10	Finely chop two onions and store
	11	Grate 90g (3oz) parmesan cheese
	12	Strip leaves from c.10/12 sprigs of tarragon (enough for 4-5 tablespoons); Divide into a two-thirds and one-third pile, and cover
	13	Drain, chop and cover 9 sun-dried tomato pieces
	14	Pour 9 tablespoons of white wine into a mug
	15	Lay out 90g (3oz) butter
	16	Cuts tops off 500g (18oz) strawberries, and store in fridge
	17	Use a skewer or knitting needle to pierce c.10 holes into chocolate mousse
	18	Spoon 3 tablespoons of rum onto mousse and let soak into holes; Return to fridge
	19	Clear away

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

Timeline Preparation

Ö
	1	Get cooking implements ready:	Non-stick frying pan and spoon; Large saucepan for stock; Very large saucepan and ladle for risotto; Chopping board and knife; Non-stick metal oven tray for garlic bread; Stirring spoon for risotto
	2	Get serving implements ready:	Very large bowl and serving spoon for risotto; Large bowl and servers for salad; Serving board for garlic bread; Small jug for cream
	3	Get eating implements ready:	Large plates for risotto and salad; Side plates for garlic bread; Small bowls for avocados; Small/medium bowls for chocolate and strawberries; Wine and other glasses; Cutlery
	4	Make sure ingredients are all to hand:	All prepared items; Olive oil; Butter; Rice; Garlic bread; Salad; Dressing; Stock cubes; Avocados; Chicken; Whipped cream
	5	Get changed for dinner

E. Timeline Cooking^TM

Ö	*Abs*	*Rel*	*Your*
	6.43	0		Put on 3 pints (1½l) fresh water to boil in a large saucepan
	6.57	+14		Heat 45g (1½oz) butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in frying pan
	6.59	+16		Add 2½ chicken stock cubes to boiling water in saucepan; Stir to dissolve cubes; Turn down heat to minimum
	7.00	+17		Add chopped onion to fat in frying pan and stir
	7.02	+19		Chop up two chicken breasts into dice-sized pieces
	7.06	+23		Add and cook the chicken pieces in frying pan; Stir regularly
	7.07	+24		Wash hands and put away other chickeny stuff
	7.10	+27		Make up salad in bowl with dressing and cover
	7.12	+29		Add 500g (18oz) rice, sun-dried tomato pieces and 3 tablespoons of tarragon (the two-thirds pile) to frying pan; Keep stirring
	7.14	+31		Add the 9 tablespoons of white wine to risotto; Keep stirring
	7.15	+32		Turn oven on to 200^oC/400^oF/Gas Mark 6
	7.17	+34		Put garlic bread on oven tray and put in oven
	7.18-7.40	+35 -57		Add stock to risotto, one ladleful at a time, allowing each to be absorbed; Keep stirring
	7.22	+39		Cut avocados in half and remove stone; Spoon filling into each avocado; Sprinkle olive mixture over filling; Add twisted lemon slice on top and a sprig of parsley
	7.30	+47		Serve garlic bread and avocado
	7.35	+52		Add grated parmesan cheese and 45g (1½oz) butter to risotto; Stir and cover
	7.40	+57		Take risotto off heat and leave to stand
	7.45	+62		Serve risotto onto plates (garnish with remaining chopped tarragon) and salad
				When ready for dessert, pour/spoon whipped cream into jug; Serve with chocolate mousse and strawberries

F. Post-Serving Notes

The Meal

Avocado only works if they are very good quality with no stringy bits.

Risotto is OK for friends, but brings other fancy bits of the meal down from being a formal meal. It's also a pain because you have to keep bobbing up to stir it, so can't sit and eat avocados in a leisurely manner. You need a partner to serve drinks/keep guest entertained.

Can help to have a cardiac resuscitation unit on hand after the dessert, which is very rich.