Food that’s not worth the effort

[BarrelOfOtters]

Crab…picked yourself
Unfilleted fish
globe artichoke all that finiking for some little bites

Pounding chicken into evenly flat pieces. Then dipping in flour, egg, and crumbs. No!

Roast, I've rarely had a better roast than we can make at home. When you do get a good roast in a restaurant, with proper roasties and yorkshires - it's so lovely knowing you don't have to wash up.

Macarons - my SIL makes them and they are divine - but I wouldn't bother myself.

HM Pasta - yes, I probably could, it is probably fairly easy when you've done it a few times. But no.

Bread I can make quite well - but the local bakery does too!

Chinese takeaway style crispy seaweed.
I made some for DD as a treat in the first lockdown : it took a sack of kale and an age of chopping and frying to make 2 small bowls of the stuff.

I can't understand what's hard about a fish pie though reading this thread I can't believe some of the 'hard' things to make! Lasagne isn't rocket science or labour intensive. For a site where people like to present themselves as domestic goddesses with such high standards this thread's an eye-opener!

Lasagne - why go to the trouble of making a white sauce then baking it all in the oven, when spag Bol is quicker and arguably nicer

water cress and orange salad - you have to peel each little segment - it’s a total faff for an entirely average result.

baking birthday cakes - very expensive and usually v ugly too

puff pastry- life is too short

You don't even have to cut it, you can put the whole thing into the oven and scoop the seeds out at the end.

First time I made a small lasagna from scratch and I was astonished at the amount of time it took. Never again.

Lasagne is one of those things that isn't worth making unless you're going to make a big one, or several small ones for freezing.
Exception is if you've some leftover ragu, then it doesn't take long to put together. Obviously always use the lasagne sheets that don't need pre-boiling.

When it comes to pastries and pasta etc, I guess the thing to ask is what do people usually do in the countries of origin?

Not so for roasts, even a Christmas lunch. Par cook all the vegetables including potatoes, into serving dishes or roasting tray into the oven with the joint/bird, wash the one pan used ready to ake the gravy, only the roasting tin left.

Pheasant/partridge/any teeny tiny game bird - bony, dry and disappointing

Some fish, especially if bony and flavourless

Homemade doughnuts - never again. Not worth the effort when supermarket ones are so cheap in comparison to cost of ingredients, less oily and delicious.

Cut the top & bottom off the orange.

Stand it on a plate or chopping board, one cut side down.

Cut from top to bottom of the orange, following the curve & taking off the outer peel & the membrane. Repeat all round. You now have an orange which is naked but still spherical.

Pick up the orange in your left hand, knife in RH (if RHed, or vv). Insert blade (not point) of knife between the membrane & the body of the fruit, in one segment. Wiggle the knife/lever out the naked segment which will easily detach from the membrane on the other side. Repeat all round.

There's bound to be a video of this somewhere. Still a faff, but easier than peeling everything by hand.

Honestly, any meal that takes more than 15-20 minutes to prep. Whatever you make, it's gone in 10 minutes. What's the point?

I loathe cooking, it's both stressful and boring.

Mayonnaise if making your own. Just get Hellmann's!

Agree re home made lasagne. Costco lasagne is the best I've tasted. I know a restaurant that serves it.

I used to love making curry from scratch but the allure of splitting cardamon pods open is beginning to wear off

Lasagne takes time to bake but it isn't high effort IMO. My white sauce is nicked from Gousto these days: An egg, some plain yoghurt and grated cheese, all mixed together and poured straight on. Or I just use a tub of Philadelphia lightest.

Life is definitely too short to prepare pomegranate when you can buy it prepped. Same goes for getting the pith off oranges. And preparing melon - especially watermelon, although I fully accept that I'm the weirdo on that score. I just can't bring myself to be arsed to chop into a melon- I've carried a watermelon round with me intending to so much that it ended up with a name, and stickers on it before eventually dying and finding its final resting place on the compost heap

Maybe controversial, but I hate making anything with mashed potatoes on top - like cottage pie or fish pie.

Peeling potatoes, boiling potatoes, mashing potatoes and then spreading it on the top of something wet and mushy. To then bung in the oven. And then wash up the potato pot with all the starchy bits or spin the roulette wheel of putting it in the dishwasher and risking mashed potato starch baked onto every single other item.

Give me pasta or rice or couscous or bread instead!

Maybe controversial, but I hate making anything with mashed potatoes on top - like cottage pie or fish pie.

I'm the same but I still make these things, but instead of mash I just top them with sliced potatoes (sliced thinly so no need to pre-cook) and brush with melted butter.

I tell myself I could always bake it but then can’t be bothered to cut it into chunks and de-seed it either l

I think it's having the kit. I make mine in a thermamix and I bung it in and leave.

I know it's extravagant but I buy ready peeled potatoes. Then I use a potato ricer directly onto the top of the cottage/fish pie

Soup is so, so easy! I make it in a pan. It is one thing that is absolutely always, every time so much nicer than shop bought.

I do just use shop bought mayonnaise but making your own isn't hard either.

@FrizzledFrazzle

i can’t stand washing up the mash pans either🤮

I discovered frozen mash… game changer!! You can microwave it or oven cook it, so I baking-paper a Pyrex dish, add seasoning and good lump of butter and stick it in the oven for half an hour. Stir all together, pop mash on mince or whatever, baking paper in the bin 💯 better than the old way

I had a soup maker once. Easier to make it in a pan in the end.

Lasagne is not difficult IMO, although I admit it does take at least 3 pans/dishes. Risotto is for when you have time to sip a glass of wine and listen to music/The Archers.

All of our bread comes from our breadmaker - easy! Not always as tasty as some shop bought but we are avoiding UPFs so its worth it....

Maybe controversial but I think Yorkshire puddings are v easy too.

Not worth it = your own pasta, hummus, pesto or baked beans.