ThinkProof Cooking^TM
Chicken Tortillas: Meal Guide

A. Menu

Type	Informal Meal
Food	Chicken Tortillas Rum Crunch Iced Parfait
Booze	Beer
Serves	Eight diners; Starting 7.00pm
Sources	"Sweet Dreams", Josceline Dimbleby, Sainsburys, London, 1983, p71 (for dessert)
Notes	An electric whisk will do the job quicker than hand; You need a large (2.5 litre/4 pint) freezerproof container with a lid

B. Ingredients Checklist

Stuff to have or buy:

*Ingredient*	*Already have*	*To buy*
Onion (medium; two)
Red pepper (two)
Garlic clove (two)
Spring onions (six)
Avocado (ripe; two)
Iceberg lettuce (half)
Butter (90g/3oz)
Milk (30ml/2 tablespoons)
Soured cream (125ml/¼pt)
Cream (single; 275ml/½pt)
Cream (double; 275ml/½pt)
Cheddar cheese (c.115g/4oz)
Eggs (three)
Chicken thigh fillets (600g/21oz) [breast is also fine]
Digestive biscuits (plain; 200g/7oz)
Tortillas (plain; 24)
Sweetcorn (tinned; 115g/4oz)
Salsa (mild; 115g/4oz)
Mango chutney (4 tablespoons)
Sugar (caster; 30g/1oz)
Sugar (granulated; 225g/8oz)
Raisins (60g/2oz)
Flaked almonds (60g/2oz)
Crystallised ginger (60g/2oz)
Vanilla essence (1 teaspoon/5ml)
Black pepper
Foodwrap/clingfilm (enough to cover ten small bowls)
Aluminium foil (about 60cm x 60cm)
Rum (3 tablespoons; 45ml)
Beer

C. Pre-Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.eight hours (e.g. c.10.30am)

How long?: Pre-preparation takes about 40 minutes

Ö
	1	Put beer in fridge
	2	Get the following ready: large mixing bowl (for biscuits); large (1½ pint+) mixing bowl (for cream); very large bowl (for eggs whites then everything else); small bowl/cup for yolks; measuring jug; very large (2.5 litre/4 pint) freezerproof container with lid; large frying pan; electric whisk; small saucepan; assorted stirring spoons; spatula; fork; biscuits; sugar (two types); eggs; vanilla essence; cream (two types); rum
	3	Crush 200g (7oz) of digestive biscuits with rolling pin OR in a food processor
	4	Place the biscuits into a mixing bowl with 30g (1oz) of caster sugar
	5	Separate out three eggs into three whites and three yolks (for taste, you can add a tiny pinch of salt to the whites)
	6	Break up the egg yolks with a fork
	7	Heat a large frying pan until very hot; Stir in the biscuit mix briskly for one-two minutes until toasted; Set aside
	8	Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until they form soft peaks
	9	Measure out 225g (8oz) of granulated sugar
	10	Heat 150ml (5fl.oz.) of water in a saucepan
	11	When the water is hot, dissolve 225g (8oz) of granulated sugar within it
	12	Boil the dissolved sugar fiercely for three minutes without stirring
	13	Pour the sugar water immediately over the whisked egg whites in a thin stream; whisking continuously
	14	Carry on whisking until you get a thick, meringue mixture; This takes about five minutes
	15	Keep whisking as you add the three egg yolks and 1 teaspoon (5ml) of vanilla essence; Set aside briefly
	16	Wash the whisk
	17	Mix 275ml (½pt) of single cream with 275ml (½pt) of double cream in a large bowl
	18	Whisk the cream in the bowl until "thick, but not stiff" i.e. just at the stage where you can't pour it; This will take several minutes
	19	Fold the cream into the egg mixture with a spatula
	20	Fold in three tablespoons (45ml) of rum
	21	Stir the biscuits into the cream/egg mixture
	22	Pour the mixture into a very large freezerproof container; Cover and leave to freeze for at least five hours

D. Preparation

When?: Timeline minus forty minutes (e.g. c.5.45pm)

How long?: Preparation takes about 25 minutes

Food Preparation

Ö
	1	Chop two onions into small pieces
	2	Core, deseed, wash and chop two red peppers into small pieces
	3	Measure out 30g (1oz) flaked almonds
	4	Prepare fillings for tortillas; As you prepare each, place it in a suitable bowl and cover with clingfilm – Grate 115g (4oz) of cheddar cheese; Wash and fine-chop six spring onions; Pour out 115g (4oz) of mild salsa; Measure out 115g (4oz) of tinned sweetcorn; Wash and chop half an iceberg lettuce; Measure out another 30g (1oz flaked almonds); Measure out 60g (2oz) of raisins; Measure out 4 tablespoons of mango chutney; Measure out 60g (2oz) of crystallised ginger (ensure it's not all one big lump)
	5	Peel two garlic cloves; Place one in a garlic press
	6	Clear away

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

Timeline Preparation

Ö
	1	Get cooking implements ready:	Large frying pan/non-stick casserole and spoon; Large bowl for onion mixture; Aluminium foil; Food processor
	2	Get serving implements ready:	Large bowl and serving spoon for chicken mixture; Large plate for tortillas; Two smallish extra bowls for soured cream and avocado; Several teaspoons for tortilla fillings
	3	Get eating implements ready:	Large plates for first course; Bowls and spoons for dessert; Beer and other glasses
	4	Make sure ingredients are all to hand:	All prepared items; Chicken; Tortillas; Butter; Soured cream; Avocados; Black pepper

E. Timeline Cooking^TM

Ö	*Abs*	*Rel*	*Your*
	6.15	0		Chop 600g (21oz) chicken in a food processor until it looks like mince; Wash hands, etc.
	6.22	+7		Melt 60g (2oz) butter in frying pan over a medium-low heat
	6.23	+8		Turn oven on to 180^oC/350^oF/Gas Mark 4
	6.24	+9		Put chopped onion and pressed garlic (first and second cloves) into pan, and fry until soft, stirring regularly
	6.27	+12		Wrap all tortillas completely in foil and place into oven
	6.29	+14		Add red pepper and almonds to frying pan and keep stirring
	6.34	+19		Remove onion/pepper mixture into a large bowl
	6.36	+21		Melt 30g (1oz) butter in the frying pan
	6.37-6.50	+22-+35		Fry chicken in pan over a medium heat, turning/stirring regularly until cooked through; Mash apart any large chunks
	6.45	+30		Meanwhile, pour soured cream into a small bowl and place on table
	6.46	+31		Meanwhile also, scoop out and chop avocados into a small bowl and place on table
	6.50	+35		Stir onion/pepper mixture back into pan with chicken; Add 30ml/2 tablespoons of milk to stop the mixture being too dry; Add a grind of pepper if you wish; Stir from time to time
	6.55	+40		Set plates to warm
	6.56	+41		Remove clingfilm from all other tortilla filling bowls; Put a teaspoon in those that need it; Place bowls on table
	6.58	+43		Transfer chicken filling into a large serving bowl on table with spoon
	6.59	+44		Remove tortillas from oven; Place on table on serving plate
	7.00	+45		Fill tortillas with chicken mixture; Add fillings to taste
				Serve parfait dessert when ready

F. Post-Serving Notes

The Meal

A good meal for varied tastes; at least the first course, which always seems to work well. Josceline claims for her Rum Crunch Iced Parfait that "Everyone votes this one of the best ice creams. … All the children I have tried it on consumed it with gusto." Well, Josceline, that gusto must have been very tasty because your parfait is like cold alcoholic sand. Personally, I really liked it but for others – more used to dessert than desert (boom, boom) – it is something of an acquired taste and texture.

Variations

· Use other fillings such as chopped tomatoes, or chives, or coleslaw, or pine nuts.

· Use beef or lamb instead of chicken: in that case, put the beef/lamb on to fry at the same time as the onion and garlic; don't remove any ingredients from the pan; and drain off any excess fat from the frying pan half-way through.

· Use vegetarian mince ("Why did the vegetarian mince?" "Because … supply own punchline here") instead of chicken: in that case you'll probably need to boil it in water or stock for 5-10 minutes and then drain it in parallel with cooking the onions and pepper; you can then melt the second butter, combine the mince, onion and peppers all together, and fry/cook for another 5-10 minutes.