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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think it is obvious that you are roasting the chicken...

181 replies

Neverenoughbiscuits · 09/03/2025 18:13

DH and I both been out with different DC today. Had a discussion in the middle of the day around what we were having for dinner (Chicken Caesar salad with diced roast potatoes). Likelihood was that he'd be home first and would get dinner on.

We have a whole chicken (no other chicken) in the fridge for the salad. He sent me a message asking if he "should roast the chicken". I didn't see the message so have just spoken to him and apparently he was waiting for me to reply so hasn't put the chicken on. Given that we have no other chicken and he is aware of what we were having, AIBU to assume that it was bloody obvious what to do with the chicken and that he didn't need me to tell him?

I'm pretty grumpy that we're going to eat really late and he's having a strop because I asked him if he thought we'd be eating it raw.

OP posts:
Talipesmum · 09/03/2025 21:29

If my DH had bought a whole chicken for the purposes of chicken Caesar salad, and I was the one making it, I’d definitely be texting him to check if it was that that was intended for the salad or something else. He would be doing the same if the other way round. Reason being, we’d both be thinking that the whole chicken was planned for something else, ie a meal where most of it was served at once. And wondering if we’d screw up by using it for the wrong thing, and perhaps the intended chicken needed defrosting, or had been forgotten in the shop.

The difference with us both vs your DH is that we wouldn’t just do nothing if it was going to make dinner late. We’d either go out and buy more chicken, or decide to roast it up anyway with aim to replace if that was wrong. Or we’d just be fine with eating later too, unless it was going to screw up the evening.

rainbowunicorn · 09/03/2025 21:29

There are some very strange responses on this thread. I can't believe so many people are having difficulty with the concept of roasting a chicken unless its for a roast dinner. It is a perfectly normal thing to do. It is really quite funny that so many people are so rigid in their ideas around food that they can't begin to comprehend something different to what they do.

soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 21:27

Isittimeformynapyet · 09/03/2025 21:22

"there's no reason why spag bol .......... can't be made with chicken" @Semiramide

Oh, there is!

It would, quite simply, NOT be Bolognese. It would be spaghetti with chicken.

Playing fast and loose with food names is very unreasonable. You wouldn't make salmon en croute with pork fillet would you?

Spaghetti bolognese is playing fast and loose with food names. Its not a bolognese sauce that anyone from Bologna would recognise.

Therefore you can put what you like in it, like when people bulk it out with lentils.

crumblingschools · 09/03/2025 21:27

Don’t think I have ever had warm chicken in a chicken Caesar salad

Isittimeformynapyet · 09/03/2025 21:22

"there's no reason why spag bol .......... can't be made with chicken" @Semiramide

Oh, there is!

It would, quite simply, NOT be Bolognese. It would be spaghetti with chicken.

Playing fast and loose with food names is very unreasonable. You wouldn't make salmon en croute with pork fillet would you?

Snugglemonkey · 09/03/2025 21:20

PrincessAnne5Eva · 09/03/2025 18:17

I think it's weird that the first thing you'd do with a full roast chicken is wait for it to cool down, chop some of it up and put it in a salad. I can see why he was confused. I've never roasted a whole chicken and not made a roast dinner with the first meal. It's a lot of chicken to cook for just chucking on a salad.

So I'm not sure that I'd be annoyed at him as it's so unusual.

I'm sure plenty will be along to tell you LTB weaponised incompetence etc though.

Why would you cool it down? Warm chicken in salad is delicious.

crumblingschools · 09/03/2025 21:17

I would think it odd to have a whole chicken in the fridge on a Sunday and not have roast chicken for dinner, with leftovers for the salad tomorrow. And it isn’t summer yet so Sunday Roast is still acceptable

arethereanyleftatall · 09/03/2025 21:15

Semiramide · 09/03/2025 20:42

Shop bought mayo?

With a Chicken Ceasars Salad??

What sacrilege!!!

I'm guessing the mayo is to add to the anchovies, garlic, Parmesan and white wine vinegar to make the Caesar dressing. Not to just use as mayonnaise.

unbelieveable22 · 09/03/2025 21:14

He did message you to ask if he should roast the chicken, you didn't see the message but he is still responsible?
You are not entirely blameless either.

Ilovemyshed · 09/03/2025 21:14

Well you could have jointed the chicken and cooked it a bit quicker.

Diningtableornot · 09/03/2025 21:12

I voted YABU on behalf of my DH who says that Caesar salad is not normally made with a whole roast chicken and he would have been confused, thinking you might have believed there was some other chicken around.

Isittimeformynapyet · 09/03/2025 21:10

Weddingbells6 · 09/03/2025 19:28

I’m with you, it was obvious the chicken needed cooking. I also don’t think it’s weird to roast a chicken to have on a salad at all, I would roast one to make chicken sandwiches or chicken pizza or a salad, I think I it’s weird that people think it’s weird tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️ nothing wrong with liking food made nicely and with nice ingredients instead of more easily. The skin on a roast chicken would make a salad so much more appealing.

Forgive me if you already do this, but if you remove the skin as soon as the bird is cooked and then put it back in the oven to crisp up it is one of the most delicious things ever. I put shards of it on a Caesar salad. Delisssious!

honeylulu · 09/03/2025 21:10

His response was poultry paltry.
If he knew it was chicken ceasar salad and that was the only chicken in the house ... well, duh.

Let's not excuse men for being poor little souls who can't possibly be expected to use their common sense for women's work things. No one gives us women clear instructions for cooking. We just get the hell on with it.

On our house it wouldn't have ended up a late dinner. It would have been a ceasar salad without chicken. Bet he wouldn't "misunderstand" again.

arethereanyleftatall · 09/03/2025 21:08

Of course, I'm surprised how many people on this thread can't imagine that freshly roasted chicken on a Caesar salad would be delicious on an unseasonably warm spring day.

I agree with this, as I was reading the first dozen or so comments I was feeling a bit sorry for people who've clearly never tried the absolute delight that is chicken Caesar salad with just roasted chicken, home made dressing and home made croutons. It is wonderful and nothing even remotely similar to a Caesar salad with shop bought dressing and croutons. Try it people, you might not want to waste your roast chil Jen on a roast ever again!

soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 21:08

When I make a tuna nicoise properly, I confit the tuna steak, cook green beans, the new potatoes and the boiled egg. All those things are warm. Mixed with the olives, tomatoes and sometimes some leaves but not always.

Most of the components are warm.

MakeYourOwnMusicStartYourOwnDance · 09/03/2025 21:07

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 09/03/2025 18:14

I'd be in a fowl mood.

😁 Yeah, I'd be clucking fuming

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 09/03/2025 21:06

Stick it in the air fryer, will be done in 50 mins.....

Imbusytodaysorry · 09/03/2025 21:06

I wouldn’t have thought a whole chicken was for a salad either .

Autumndayz77 · 09/03/2025 21:05

Missing the point but we regularly cook a whole chicken for sandwiches / wraps / salads

soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 21:05

PullTheBricksDown · 09/03/2025 20:46

Serious question: what makes it a salad? Is that based on the presence of other cold ingredients or what?

I was raised on 'salad' including things like cold sausages, crisps and salad cream BTW so I can't claim expertise here.

Salads arent only cold dishes are they, salads can be warm.

I dont like cold food but I do like salad.

TheThoughtfulCandlemaker · 09/03/2025 21:03

Maybe he chickened out

Autumndayz77 · 09/03/2025 21:03

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 09/03/2025 18:14

I'd be in a fowl mood.

Very good 👏

Neverenoughbiscuits · 09/03/2025 21:03

AmusedGoose · 09/03/2025 20:53

Im sorry but no it was not clear. I wouldn't roast a chicken for a salad unless you always do this. How did you miss the message? Are you always unavailable in the event of emergencies too?

But what if you knew you were having chicken salad, there was no other chicken at home and you knew that someone had been specifically to buy ingredients for a chicken Caesar salad?

Not always available as I'm also leading one of the activities DD participates in so I can't just check messages all the time.

OP posts:
TheThoughtfulCandlemaker · 09/03/2025 21:02

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 09/03/2025 18:14

I'd be in a fowl mood.

Brilliant

Neverenoughbiscuits · 09/03/2025 21:01

PullTheBricksDown · 09/03/2025 20:46

Serious question: what makes it a salad? Is that based on the presence of other cold ingredients or what?

I was raised on 'salad' including things like cold sausages, crisps and salad cream BTW so I can't claim expertise here.

In this instance we followed a recipe for Caesar salad. I would usually preface any salad with a descriptor - bean salad, green salad, tuna salad etc. However I would consider any salad to contain a mixture of, generally, cold vegetables unless otherwise specified i.e. fruit salad or chicken salad.

OP posts: