I'm a bit miffed about this Food Tech ingredients list

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

Not feeling brave enough for AIBU, and I'm sure the teacher has her reasons, but this is what DS needs to take to school next week. He's 14/Y9, do not into GCSE course yet, and food tech isn't one on his options. Also, he has food tech after lunch, and has to carry his cooking around for the rest of the day, as the fridges are full of heat the morning lessons have made. OK for scones, but for chicken?

Here is the offending ingredients list:

Thai Green Curry - 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 80g sugar snap peas, 2 small chicken breasts, 30ml Thai green curry paste. 200ml coconut milk, ½ lime, small bunch coriander.

My concerns - there's about £8 worth of stuff there, many of which (curry paste, coconut milk, coriander) come in bigger packs than required. That doesn't seem to be considerate of the CoL crisis - it's a big standard academy comp in a not-particularly affluent area.

Also - no veggie alternative ingredients offered - so half our household wouldn't eat the results anyway.

DS is not matey enough with anyone in his FFT class to suggest sharing ingredients. Expensive ingredients!

I'm delighted that the school is teaching the kids to make something other than scones and pizza, but there are so many cheaper curries to mark in an hour! They could start by making the curry paste! Or school providing (and charging for) the ingredients the kids won't need need "all" of.

(DS's previous school/DD's school charge for all FFT and RMT ingredients and materials at the start of the year, abs supply everything. I appreciate limited kitchen space doesn't always make this possible).

The lesson is after lunch.

Sending frozen chicken is a really good idea. Thank you.

I do believe DS on the fridge issue, unless all his mates have teamed up and created the same elaborate lie. I imagine this is why we're asked to send food in a cool box with ice packs.

I think I'd be sending the school some links to food hygiene courses. Absolutely no way would I let them teach my sons it's ok to carry around raw meat, followed by cooling cooked meat until they finally get home 🤢

Sending frozen chicken is a really good idea. Thank you.

If you're sending it frozen he needs to be able to ensure it's defrosted properly before he cooks. Will he have the facilities to be able to do that?

I don't personally see chicken curry as a high cost recipe. Parents are free to substitute breast fillets for chicken thighs or vegetarian alternatives, and you know really that the school will accept that without issues. You're making a bit of a fuss. Families who are really struggling will be able to get financial support through the school for things like Food tech ingredients.

Isn't chicken supposed to be defrosted in a fridge?

Think I'd try to find a substitute tbh especially if not everyone would eat it.

@Okunevo the point is, if people master the basic principles, they can cook anything.

Really? I learnt to make basic pastry for jam tarts, Victoria sponge, apple crumble etc with my grandmother. I never make those things now except for stewed apple or rhubarb that I prefer to eat on it's own or with porridge. It taught me nothing about making a dhal or chilli or cottage pie or something similar to feed a family on a budget. I had to teach myself as an adult.

I defrost meat on the worktops and I also cook with frozen from time to time depending on what Im doing, its about making sure its cooked within the dish

The issue with chicken thighs is that they need long slower cooking otherwise they can be tough and chewy, presuming the lesson is not that long to accommoate that

He's better off taking a sweet potato or something like that

So, you didn't know the basics of thickening a sauce, sweating carrot and onion together, sautéing the Mince and draining the fat, etc.

@RosesAndHellebores they sound like basics for the diet you eat.
I don't make sauses (especially "brown sauce" aka gravy).
I don't cook or eat mince.
I only like carrots raw.
That wouldn't be basic cooking for me - because I don't eat food like that.

Blue Dragon do a thai green curry kit that's 3.10. Sold at tesco.

tesco's own is 2.80 love

asda sell the blue dragon kit for 2.50

You shop in a Tesco Express and then complain that you can't afford it?

We always substitute whatever we want so we still end up with a curry but I might use Quorn chicken and a small tin Tesco coconut milk. As long as it's close will they be strict? Really wouldn't be happy about carrying around warm uncooked chicken.

@FancyFanny maybe a Tesco Express is the only shop a person can get too.

It really annoys me that schools don't provide things like curry paste or yeast to be bought by the portion. Lazy and tone deaf.

And surely anyone can see that £2.80 or £3.10 on flavouring is a lot for some people.

Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils (in the pouch) are really good too!

But a jar of curry paste can br used to make multiple curry's once kid has used it.

Only issue I can see is half a lime means ridiculous wastage and the chicken will get all warm and the kids will be off school with food poisoning.

You can legit just buy red lentils in a packet and bung them in instead of mince

I actually agree. I had this with ds2. I felt like emailing her and asking can't they share? A tube of green curry paste. I mean, really?

Yes you can. I love red lentils as well, but puy lentils have a better texture for a mince dish IMO.

The threshold for fsm is very low. Lots of low income families don’t qualify.