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AIBU?

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Original poster

She poured the marinade that the raw chicken had been in on the cooked chicken and served it

176 replies

CrocsNotDocs · 05/01/2025 02:04

Just that really.

Chatting to my lifelong friend while she was preparing dinner for her kids and that is what she did. She took the cooked wings out of her air fryer and poured the leftover marinade over it and served it to her kids. I was so taken aback and said oh you shouldn’t be doing that- it will have raw chicken germs all over it.

She looked at me like I was absolutely mad and said that’s how her mum always did it and the marinating chicken had been covered in the fridge so it was fine. I weakly said I didn’t think it was fine and she just laughed.

It’s not fine is it? I’s not going mad am I? She’s such a better housekeeper and cook than I am that I’m actually beginning to doubt myself! It’s so crazy- I ate at her house hundreds of times at a kid and I am certain her mum wouldn’t have done this. Is this a sliding doors of knowledge moment where she missed something fundamental? She’s like Martha Stewart and this is all completely mad.

As far as I am aware, her kids have never had a bout of food poisoning.

OP posts:
Compash · 05/01/2025 02:07

If she ran a restaurant, pretty sure they'd shut her down for that! 😱

wandawaves · 05/01/2025 02:09

This is even worse than the 9 day old turkey thread. 🤮🤢🤮

GildedRage · 05/01/2025 02:09

massive faux pas and potentially very d a n g e r o u s.

Alalalala · 05/01/2025 02:09

She’s playing roulette with her kids health! Madness.

BMW6 · 05/01/2025 02:09

Fuck me that's all kinds of wrong !

vodkaredbullgirl · 05/01/2025 02:09

No way would you do that, unless you cook the marinade.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/01/2025 02:21

My eyes just popped out of my head. You are totally correct.

MissRachelismycoparent · 05/01/2025 02:22

Oh gof that's awful

SantaBakula · 05/01/2025 02:25

Oh heck no !

ThisIsSockward · 05/01/2025 02:26

Yes, unless she's failing to mention that she has cooked the marinade, that's flirting with disaster. It's one of those situations where you might get away with it for years and never become ill, but at any time she could end up with chicken contaminated with salmonella and give herself and her children a serious case of food poisoning. I'd never have an appetite for her food again, after seeing that.

brentwoods · 05/01/2025 02:28

There's a lot of times I think posters are being overly cautious re food poisoning . . . this is not one of them. Salmonella Central

Ohhhthedrama · 05/01/2025 02:29

🤮🤮🤮 oh my, that's just wrong.

Original poster
CrocsNotDocs · 05/01/2025 02:32

This makes me feel better. She is so much more knowledgeable than me on all things domestic and was so certain about the marinade being ok that I thought maybe I had it wrong all this time.

Argh. Should I raise it again? I raised it twice in the moment. I’m famous for my lack of domestic ability that I think she would disregard anything I had to say and just get irritated.

OP posts:
TyneTeas · 05/01/2025 02:33

I will sometimes boil up the remainder of the marinade with the juices from cooking to make a sauce but no, not adding it raw!

It will not be cooked which is a risk for chicken

Am also quite concerned that 7% think this is reasonable!

If there is science behind it like no longer washing chickens before cooking or not needing to use foil to roast I would be very interested!

BMW6 · 05/01/2025 02:35

I think for her children's sake you should tell her and she can google it herself.

It's a really serious health risk.

Eminybob · 05/01/2025 02:37

Hang on, she poured cold sauce on the hot chicken? Are you sure she didn't heat it up/cook it first? As aside from the safety aspect that would be horrible anyway.

Topsyturvy78 · 05/01/2025 02:38

🤢🤮🤢🤮

Trallers · 05/01/2025 02:39

There isn't a step missed that she didn't tell you is there? Like blasting it in the microwave? If it was cold, raw, chicken marinade juices then that's grim. Although perhaps she's don't it enough times that her whole family are immune to salmonella and have iron stomachs!

Darknessandquiet · 05/01/2025 02:42

Eminybob · 05/01/2025 02:37

Hang on, she poured cold sauce on the hot chicken? Are you sure she didn't heat it up/cook it first? As aside from the safety aspect that would be horrible anyway.

This. Are you absolutely sure she didn’t boil up the sauce? Because why would you pour an icy cold marinade (not too long out of the fridge) over the hot chicken wings?

Original poster
CrocsNotDocs · 05/01/2025 02:43

Eminybob · 05/01/2025 02:37

Hang on, she poured cold sauce on the hot chicken? Are you sure she didn't heat it up/cook it first? As aside from the safety aspect that would be horrible anyway.

It was still in the container that the raw chicken had been in. Been out on the bench while the chicken was in air fryer so probably room temp by the time the cooked chicken was done. I’m absolutely sure and when I raised it, she didn’t say it had been heated, just that it was fine as it had been in the fridge with the chicken.

OP posts:
NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/01/2025 02:44

The only point on which I'd disagree with PP is that virtually all UK chickens are vaccinated against salmonella these days. So the main risk is campylobacter rather than salmonella. Other food poisoning options are also available.

Being covered in the fridge makes no difference whatsoever - the risk is from the chicken itself, not the atmosphere. Bacteria are in the chicken. They will spread to the marinade while it is resting. If the marinade is not cooked, it's the same as eating raw chicken.

I would definitely raise it with her again. And not eat there in future.

CarolinaWren · 05/01/2025 02:46

And this is why I do my best to avoid eating other people's cooking. 🤢

Original poster
CrocsNotDocs · 05/01/2025 02:46

NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/01/2025 02:44

The only point on which I'd disagree with PP is that virtually all UK chickens are vaccinated against salmonella these days. So the main risk is campylobacter rather than salmonella. Other food poisoning options are also available.

Being covered in the fridge makes no difference whatsoever - the risk is from the chicken itself, not the atmosphere. Bacteria are in the chicken. They will spread to the marinade while it is resting. If the marinade is not cooked, it's the same as eating raw chicken.

I would definitely raise it with her again. And not eat there in future.

I’m in Australia so not sure about our chicken vax status- the country is pretty hot on food hygiene so could be the case here too.

I will have to raise it again- I’ll do it in a silly me type of way and suggest she ask our mutual friends- if I’m wrong they can have a good laugh at my expense!

OP posts:
AngelicKaty · 05/01/2025 02:47

CrocsNotDocs · 05/01/2025 02:32

This makes me feel better. She is so much more knowledgeable than me on all things domestic and was so certain about the marinade being ok that I thought maybe I had it wrong all this time.

Argh. Should I raise it again? I raised it twice in the moment. I’m famous for my lack of domestic ability that I think she would disregard anything I had to say and just get irritated.

Yes, raise it again - google it in front of her if you think she won't take your word for it. She must cook the marinade before pouring it on the cooked chicken. As someone who has contracted campylobacter (from undercooked chicken on an airplane) and lost a stone in a week, I can tell you her practice of not cooking the marinade after steeping raw chicken in it, is reckless and foolhardy. She's risking her family's health.

NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/01/2025 02:48

So room temperature is the room.temperatire of an Australian summer? Even worse!