Quote from: Geezah on March 01, 2014, 11:05 PM
I tend to use a lot of thigh meat as its tastier, but it is more hard work disecting the bone out of it which is why I think breast is used more often.
Also the breast can be cut into larger pieces for tandoors etc.

The reason Chicken Breast is more popular in restaurants is mainly for two reasons.

1. It's not that cheap, but when buying Chicken breast, it is not as cheap as thighs, but the labour involved in turning boned meat into something you want, it is cheaper in the long run to buy the breast.

2. Most people (in a restaurant) especially the lady folk, would prefer not to pick up chicken thighs in a restaurant and start chewing the meat off the bone, so to speak. They would much prefer cut up breast meat that is easy to deal with....

We go through over 200 kilo of Chicken breast and other meat in our kitchen every week, and from a chef's point of view, we make more money serving Chicken breast than any other meat, (portion for portion).

Hi Scotty and welcome to the forum.

I too am a chef at the Royal Holloway University, where we cook all kinds of cuisine, but I specialise in Indian. I have taken a lot of recipes from here (some I have created myself) and modified them to cater for 75 plus portions, some of which recipes I have posted on here.

You'll find everything you need on here to create any BIR curry you desire and also go on to creating some of your own dishes too.

We have a Chinese section here in the forum too, so do feel free to post any Chinese recipes you would like to share with us

If you've ever been to the USA you may have come across, "Hooters Restaurants" famous for their "HOT" Buffalo Wings.....

http://www.hooters.com/Home/Default.aspx

I am lucky enough to have been able to find out the recipe for their, "Hot Sauce" and have made this several times now, even a bulk version for an American evening at the UNI.

This sauce is absolutely wonderful and is best with, "Crystal" Louisiana Hot pepper sauce, but I have also used Encona West Indian hot pepper sauce too with great results.

Here's the recipe.

Hooters Buffalo Chicken Wings

1/4 cup 60ml (56 grams) butter
1/4 cup 60ml Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce
Dash ground pepper
Dash garlic powder
1/2 cup 120ml all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
10 chicken wing pieces or Chicken Breast cut into chunks
Vegetable oil for frying

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375F or 190C. You want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely, an inch or so deep at least.

Combine the butter, hot sauce, ground pepper, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well?blended.

Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne powder, and salt in a small bowl.

If the wings are frozen, be sure to defrost and dry them. Put the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly. Put the wings in the refrigerator 60?90 minutes. This will help the breading to stick to the wings when fried.

Put all the wings in the hot oil and fry 10 to 15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown. Remove from the oil to a paper towel to drain. Don't let them sit too long, because you want to serve them hot.

Quickly put the wings in a large bowl. Add the hot sauce and stir, coating all of the wings evenly.

Serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.

I also made a milder version for the weaklings at the UNI, by adding light Muscovado sugar and fresh double cream, which was also lovely.

Hope this helps

Quote from: Unclebuck on February 13, 2014, 07:22 PM
Hi Mate, Your a talent    I don't know where you find the time to do all that.

Thanks for posting do you mind posting your Thai Red Chicken Curry Recipe,
Regards UB

Hi UB,

I have to say that I am free to develop whatever I want to a degree at the Uni given the time as long as we make service at the right time and the students and staff are happy with our food. I am working on a number of things at the moment which will all come to light in the future.

Given that I start most days at 07:00 hrs and finish around 20:00 hrs and I only take a 20 minute break each day for some food intake, gives me the time for such development although it is taking it's toll and I will need to take some time out soon.... but I love what I do and wish I had gone down this route when I was 17!!!!

I've got to the stage where I don't measure stuff anymore, I just add what I think is about right and then taste as I go along, but here goes.

Oil
Finely Chopped Onion
Red Thai Curry Paste (I have put a recipe on here for this previously, let me know if you can't find it)
Kaffir Lime Leaves
Fish Sauce
Light Muscovado sugar
Coconut milk (I use Maggi Coconut milk powder mixed with skimmed milk) This makes a better mixture than using water)
Finely sliced fresh chilli's
Lime Juice
Salt
Chicken, (chopped and sealed in a pan first)

Heat the oil, then add the onion and fry gently until it is soft and translucent, then add the paste and the chilli and fry gently.

Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer.

Add the kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and salt.

Mix all together and let cook for 3-5 minutes whilst stirring.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Either add more sugar or salt or lime juice to balance the taste, the sauce should be quite light but thickish and not overpowering.

Add the chicken and stir in. The water in the chicken (and yes all chicken contains some water) will thin the sauce down to a nice consistency.

This is a Thai red curry that I produce at the Uni, we can go on to add mini corn on the cob, Mangetout, peppers, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots, green beans, in fact any veggies you like to suit your individual taste.

The only thing I would add as an extra and depending upon the red curry paste you use, would be a chicken stock, as some pastes can be a bit bland, and the stock gives your sauce more depth.

Hope this helps but feel free to ask questions

Wednesday is any Cuisine we like night, and lately, I have been doing a lot of Mediterranean stuff, so decided to put on a Thai feast tonight for the students.

Thai Mussaman Beef Curry. Thai Red Chicken Curry, Thai Mixed Veggie Curry and a Lemongrass & Cardamom Rice. I make all my own Thai Curry Pastes, of which some I have posted on here in the past.

It's nice when nothing is left, you don't have to blast chill it, record the temperature or make something else out of it within 2 days or lose it

Quote from: jb on February 11, 2014, 09:56 PM
I generally avoid Indian buffet meals if I can.The buffet food is nowhere near as good as when you order straight from the menu.I tried one a couple of years ago and the food was very bland indeed,everything just tasted the same.I'd been there before and ordered my own food previously and the food was excellent.

I actually do DJ'ing in my spare time and I was asked to play at a local Indian Restaurant on Saturday where they had a party and a help yourself buffet.Although the selection of dishes were impressive the actual food was not.Nothing wrong with it just very average and tasteless.Even the plain chicken tikka was poor.I could have done much better myself.I'm not sure but it could be how the dishes are cooked.They brought out one massive wok which had about six portions of tikka massala in it.Chatting to the manager(who has invited me into his kitchen soon!!) he did tell me that the buffet dishes are all cooked in large potions in a pan whereas the traditional menu is cooked in the normal way.Maybe that's where the food deteriorates,I don't know.I would give it a second chance George but order from the menu yourself.

You'll have to get me into that Kitchen JB, I'll show them how to bulk it up a touch!!! ;D

Top Notch Garp. Lovely looking curry!! 

Many thanks for your help guys

I'll work on this next week and come back to you all

I get half a day off tomorrow, I'll take a look if I get time.

I did ask earlier if anyone could post the recipe ingredients as right now I just don't have 27 minutes to watch the video

I could work out the process if I knew the ingredients as we make a heck of a lot of bread now in our kitchen, which we are experimenting with

Hi Ed,

I make this regularly and at least 2 times a week at the Uni. I can't stand sloppy, runny dhals, but a medium thickish dhal always goes down well here.

I also use a variety of lentils, this Thursday I played around and used 4 heads of garlic in the tarka, along with onions, spice mix, finely sliced green chilli's and fennel seeds.

Another variety, is to add methi leaves to the dahl when cooking and then on top of the tarka, a handful of finely chopped fresh coriander.

I've even added cashew nuts and sultanas which have been toasted in butter ghee over the top too.

There is no end to what you can do if you use your imagination