A very common meal that you've never cooked yourself?

[teenysaladandsniffofarose]

It occurred to me today that as much as I love fish pie, I've never actually cooked one myself despite being a capable cook! I've always eaten it at restaurants/ had my mum make it for me when I was younger etc.

What's a common meal you like but have never cooked yourself?

Shepherds pie.

Although I have cooked cottage pie often.

Amazed at all the people struggling with making a white/bechamel/cheese sauce. I've never found it a problem. I use a stainless pan with a good solid bottom so it's less likely to catch. Pan on scales, weigh butter in pan, then weigh plain flour, also in pan, place pan on a low heat and the butter starts to melt. Stir occasionally so the butter and flour turn into a paste. Meanwhile, measure out the milk. I don't bother heating it separately, so cold from the fridge. As soon as the butter and flour are fully amalgamated, pour in a little milk and stir to blend. Add a bit more. Keep going until all milk is added and the sauce is thick and smooth. You could use a balloon whisk if needed, but I find a wooden spoon is perfectly sufficient. Just keep the heat low or it will burn. Add nutmeg, bayleaf, or any other flavouring and let it infuse. If adding cheese, add off the heat, as the heat of the sauce will melt it.

Such a useful sauce. Basis of fish pie, bechamel, cheese sauce. I love it.

As for something I've never cooked myself, I've hardly ever grilled steak, as nobody except me will eat it at home. It's too expensive to mess up so I usually only have it when I eat out.

How does it take no time to make up a bolognese and a bechamel sauce?

for me - Christmas Dinner. Went from my mum making it to my husband making it.

Lasagna - I batch cook the sauces when I'm making spag bol or Mac cheese.

I've never roasted a chicken. I don't eat meat. I've roasted/grilled/curried etc various bits of chicken for my meat-loving family, but I don't know what to do with a whole one, and don't fancy touching it much.

I've never made a jacket potato in the oven, only a 'baked' potato in the microwave. It takes about 6 mins and the skin doesn't go crispy. Recommend pronging the skin with a fork a few times or making a cut to prevent steam build-up.

Jo

Fish and chips is the only thing I can think of.
I'm always surprised when people say lasagne is a faff, I always think of it as an easy meal.

Curry, hate the stuff.!

Stovies

With roux you need cold milk and hot butter/flour mix.

I've never cooked a proper road beef.

And Victoria sponge. Never baked that either.

I was 30 years old before I ever tasted a shepherd/cottage pie, I’ve never had a fish pie or most ‘normal’ English cuisine my parents are both British but they hated British food so we never hate it!

Mac n cheese - wouldn’t have a clue

Must admit to being slightly horrified by the number of people talking about cheese sauce in reference to lasagne. Absolutely not a thing.

I've never made a frittata. Not sure why as I enjoy them. I've also never cooked a lobster or crab.

Chips in a deep fat fryer (have done oven a s air fried chips though)

Chicken noodle soup

Peking duck and pancakes

Sleeping - clearly making lasagne for eighty people , including vegetarian and vegan versions is a major faff - I don't envy you doing that!

That would be a good big bit of roadkill ...

(Sorry)

I have never made a quiche.

Bread

Macaroni cheese!

Any kind of pudding, quiche or tart. DM is brilliant at them, and there’s just no point in competing. I make better cakes than her though.

Deep fat fried food - it just seems like such a faff/waste of oil unless you are cooking for a massive group.

Quite!

I grill the sausages until they’re just a little brown and then transfer them to the hot fat with the batter.

I’ve never made a curry as I’ve usually lived in places with really good Indian restaurants. I’ve also never made a Victoria sandwich.

To make a decent lasagne takes at least 4 hours start to finish. You can't get it going and leave it. You make the ragu. Then you have to come back and make the roux. Maybe you have to cook your lasagne sheets. Then you have to layer it all up. Then you have to bake it. And you have to assemble a salad to go with it because it's lacking in fresh veg.

I regularly make "fancy" things like boeuf bourgignon or chicken chasseur or ghoulash - but they can be started and left. Cook some potatoes in the oven alongside them if you eat carbs, add some steamed green veg in the last 10 minutes. So much easier and less faff than a lasagne.

Poached eggs. I really can't do it!

I made my first frittata this week - in over half a century of life! - with leftover carbonara. I have a small omelette pan, and as the quantity of leftovers was relatively small, just added a single egg (the carbonara was egg-based anyway, not cream-based), a little shredded plain chicken, and some cheese.

As it was just a single portion, it was easy enough to keep it to one side of the pan so I could flip with the spatula, rather than flip with a plate or finish in the oven or under the grill ie just winged it until it looked, felt and smelt done. Well chuffed with that effort, I really enjoyed it, and can’t believe it took me all that time to even try making one! I’m going to try with other things now - though I don’t actually fancy a frittata with other pasta leftovers, eg spag bol, that would be a step too far for me!