Topic: Lasan chicken tandoori (from the F-Word)

[JerryM]

Have you made this to spec Jerry?  I thought you missed out the parboil bit in the spices?

Will,

i guess u're right - i did not make the lasan 2 spec 1st time or this time in terms of the par boil. i make tikka and quick marinated chicken (<24hrs) quite a lot. i've tried quite a few variations on the par boil theme - it don't do it for me for tikka (it does for the quick marinade but that's just down to the cooking method not the marinade). the only way to get real good tenderness for tikka is to marinade for at least 3 days. for me the par boil seals the surface of the chicken which is not what u want for a long marinade.

when i say quick marinade i refer to the ashoka recipe. the par boil only works for a very short cooking too ~ 3 to 5 mins max. the important thing after cooking is to leave the meat in the liquid until the liquid has cooled.

i also think the lime juice has to be on the radar too along with the mustard oil, black salt and white pepper. for info i've used the mustard oil in a chicken marinade for pallea and it made no difference.

[Cory Ander]

the only way to get real good tenderness for tikka is to marinade for at least 3 days

How long do BIRs marinate their chicken for? 

[Willyeckerslike]

3 days seems a long time, the maximum I have done is 24 hrs which works well for me, but I will have to try 3 days next time you cant beat tender chicken tikka.  I would do it this week but I have a leg of lamb to tikka & its curry night Wednesday so only just got it out of the freezer.  I heard about an Asian shop here in Doncaster that does mustard oil so going there today to get  some.

Will

[Cory Ander]

3 days seems a long time

Will, for a BIR, it seems like an unreasonably long time!  :

[Cory Ander]

I heard about an Asian shop here in Doncaster that does mustard oil Will

BUT!  Do BIRs use MUSTARD OIL? 

[Willyeckerslike]

The Lasan BIR does  ;D,
The use of mustard oil in it did suprise me as the bottles I have seen say for external use only.  Is there any bottles that say ok for food?  If you are not allowed to use it for food why are lasan using it?  Its probably some EU directive :

Will

[PaulP]

The Lasan BIR does  ;D,
The use of mustard oil in it did suprise me as the bottles I have seen say for external use only.  Is there any bottles that say ok for food?  If you are not allowed to use it for food why are lasan using it?  Its probably some EU directive :

Will

Yes you can't sell mustard oil for human consumption in the UK or the States or Australia I believe. There was some research years ago that showed it was really bad for laboratory rats.
That's when it got banned. Later research showed that pigs and humans are not affected unlike rats. So it is ok to eat it but at your own risk

[Willyeckerslike]

Thanks for that PaulP

Will

[JerryM]

CA,

i'm not saying anyone including BIR's have to marinade for any particular length of time. i have found by trial and error that 3 to 4 days is about the optimum ie less than 3 days is not as good and more than 3 days is no better. if i can only marinade for say 24hrs then i switch from tikka to par boil chicken (well boil is more like simmer).

[JerryM]

Result is in.

the No 1 request was to make this more often and more of it (i used 3 off breast for the test).

the 3 testers preferred the CA & Test samples more than the Lasan. i think in halving the recipe amounts i got too much white pepper in the lasan and convinced this had some bearing but did not affect the result.

the test sample had more life than the CA and was judged the best on that basis. the CA had better ingredient taste (more like BIR).

i think the ingredient that brings the lasan to life is lime juice. i'm no longer convinced on mustard oil or black salt. the fennel does add a nice touch. the white pepper might just give a slight lift but u need to be careful on the amount.

i think u can guess where my thought process is going next.