# Dishes you like but are too much of a pain in the ass to cook. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202 "2015-10-30T20:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/41 "2015-10-31T08:14:47Z")
Traditional British style fish and chips with crisp battered fish and twice fried chips. It’s not that hard to do but it is fiddly, messy and time consuming. The cleanup is no attraction either. Luckily there is always somewhere around that you can get a good version and just do the pleasurable bit - eating. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/42 "2015-10-31T09:18:32Z")
Falafel. I recently tried Alton Brown’s recipe, and they were the best falafel I’ve ever had. But they were a pain to make, along with tzatsiki sauce and tabouli salad. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/43 "2015-10-31T10:29:26Z")
I agree with many of the recipes mentioned. It’s not always the cooking–it’s the cleanup. Let others handle the deep frying! Martha Stewart prepared the dish that may be too much of a pain for even the pros. Her shows on PBS have a mix of complex & simpler dishes–and helpful hints. One Saturday morning she began with a [porchetta](http://www.marthastewart.com/1056744/porchetta). That’s a pork loin wrapped in pork belly (with a bunch of flavoring), chilled in the refrigerator for 3 days (my refrigerator isn’t big enough), then sliced for sandwiches with a green salsa that I might steal for some other use. It looked absolutely delicious but I knew I’d _never_ cook one. So I went online & found porchetta on the menu of a local casual Italian place I’d been meaning to try. Alas, the waitress said they no longer offered it–it was too much trouble to cook. I understood & found something else good on the menu. But will continue my quest… ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/44 "2015-10-31T10:38:51Z")
Dried string beans soaked overnight and stewed with pork knucles for several hours. Supermarket trotters work fine but beans in plastic bags dont open up and produce a thick, milky soup. I have to go to a wet market when the beans are in season. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/45 "2015-10-31T11:43:22Z")
I have a recipe for a cajun-inspired cassoulet that is delicious, but took me two days to make. First, you roast and cut up a chicken…and you soak beans overnight (there’s day one)…and there is andoullie sausage and pork chops. It also serves about 20, and there just aren’t that many people left in my family. I used to do it for Boxing Day, but not now. Okay, maybe now. I’ve been craving it, and have considered how to make it using half a rotisserie chicken and downsizing it. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/46 "2015-10-31T12:02:05Z")
I used to make a vegetarian pasticio that was delicious, but an enormous pain- pasta, two sauces, roasted veggies, lentils, homemade ricotta (I was in a place where you couldn’t buy cheese)…THEN you get to assemble and bake it all. Homemade samosas are also delicious and not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/47 "2015-10-31T13:01:48Z")
In a book which I have, of “curry-ish” recipes from all over the world, there’s a Philippine dish called _Adobong pusit_. A spiced / vinegar-ish casserole of stuffed small squid. You need to cut off the squid tentacles and wings, chop then, and mix them with other ingredients to make the stuffing. This, and actually stuffing the creatures and securing them when stuffed (they being so small) I find fiddly as all heck, and thoroughly annoying. When cooked, the dish is IMO very nice; but whether it’s worth the toil, is debatable. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/48 "2015-10-31T13:21:12Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Paella and risotto, for many of the same reasons. I rarely make a chicken biriyani that takes a full day, much of which is active, not just letting the dish cook on its own. But it’s fabulous, and far better than any biriyani I’ve ever purchased. > [@Gordon\_Urquhart](#): > > For those of you who wrote “fried chicken,” Google “America’s Test Kitchen,” “easy,” and “fried chicken.” It’s fried in just a couple of cups of oil for a few minutes, and then baked in the oven. > > You’ll thank me later. > > I need to find an easy recipe for chile rellenos, because I’ll never make them again unless I find an easier way than deep-frying them. > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I may be a born and bred Yankee, but even I know that good Southern fried chicken is PAN-FRIED, not deep-fried. I make mine in only a quarter-inch of hot grease (spread over a 12-inch skillet), although the classic recipes call for a half-inch. You just have to keep turning the drumsticks and breast pieces after every five minutes to get each side golden and cooked through. > > It makes a bit of spattery mess, but nothing you can’t remedy in less than five minutes with a damp sponge. So, what do y’all do with the left over oil? I tried frying food a few times when I was younger, and the actual frying part wasn’t so bad, but then I had a cup or two of used oil that was hard to get rid of, not to mention a spattery mess all over the kitchen. I go to places with fryolators, that can use the same oil for lots of dishes when I want fried food. There’s lots of good fried food that’s easy to buy. I don’t need the hassle. (My husband sometimes makes latkes, which are a holiday treat and can’t really be purchased hot and fresh. They are yummy, but I’m not convinced it’s worth it.) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/49 "2015-10-31T14:14:53Z")
**Don’t deep-fry chicken.** PAN-FRY chicken. I use only a half-cup of oil (and trust me, it ain’t expensive EVOO), anb wipe out the cooled grease with paper towels. Leave a tablespoon or two behind along with the brown bits, 'cause you need that pan gravy. ---
**Author:** ![May\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@May\_20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/May_20)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/50 "2015-10-31T14:15:38Z")
My mother-in-law taught me how to make chicken 'n dumplings. Yummy, but yikes! What a time-consuming and touchy meal to make! Boil the chicken to cook the meat (though you can use leftover carcasses) and make the dumpling broth. I add carrots, celery, and onion at this stage for flavor. My MIL does not. Let chicken cool, then shred. Take some broth and add butter, salt, and pepper - this is the touchy part. Mess this up, and you can ruin the whole batch. No exact amounts, but you “overseason” the broth because then you add flour to the right consistency, so you’re seasoning the dumplings. Roll out thin, and cut into long strips. Let dry while the broth comes back to a boil. Add noodles and chicken to broth. Cook until noodles are done. There are no exact measurements; it’s all taste and adjust and estimate. That and the time commitment are what make this dish such a pain. But it’s yummy comfort food at its best. I make it about 3-4 times a year. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/51 "2015-10-31T14:31:25Z")
Anything beyond something like toast or whatever I can cook in a microwave. Occasionally grilling on a charcoal grill is ok. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/52 "2015-10-31T14:32:13Z")
I never found sauerbraten to be a lot of work–it’s just a lot of waiting. It really is only slightly more labor intensive than any other pot roast. For me, it’s pierogi, ravioli, tamales, manti – basically anything of that stuffed pieces of dough category of foods, and the smaller they are, the more I hate making them. One of my favorite dishes I’ve ever prepared were teeny-tiny manti stuffed with a lamb filling. Each one basically started with about a square inch of dough. ([Actually, here is the recipe](http://www.jemangelaville.com/2006/03/12/manti-turkish-lamb-dumplings/).) It just took forever to stuff all those little dumplings. Admittedly, it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, but I haven’t made it since because of the labor involved. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/53 "2015-10-31T14:46:54Z")
Yes, small filled things like potstickers. And pierogi. I come from pierogi country and the old birds around here can make the dough from scratch and several kinds of fillings, to make and sell at the church before Christmas every year. I’ve found recipes using mashed potatoes, butter, onions, and lasagna noodles or even eggroll wrappers, to make a ‘pierogi casserole’. Not as much fun to eat and you can’t fry a casserole in onions and butter, but its better than nothing. (there are lots of frozen pierogis, but the dough is too thick. there are hand-made pierogis for sale, very expensive.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/54 "2015-10-31T15:10:33Z")
Pierogi is easy to make… if you have at least four people working on it at once, and they’re all experienced at it (or at most all but one, with one member of the next generation gophering while they learn), and you’re making at least thirty dozen at once. Anything short of that semi-industrial level, and forget about it. Another dish that’s too much work to make more than once a year, but which dammnit, I’m not giving up that once, is dandelion salad. The salad itself isn’t too hard, maybe a half-hour of prep work (mostly frying the bacon for the dressing). And gathering the greens isn’t hard either; at most an hour outside at a time of year when you’re really looking for excuses to finally get outside again, and fun with kids sharing the work. But _cleaning_ the greens takes about eight hours of constant active work. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/55 "2015-10-31T15:20:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Another dish that’s too much work to make more than once a year, but which dammnit, I’m not giving up that once, is dandelion salad. The salad itself isn’t too hard, maybe a half-hour of prep work (mostly frying the bacon for the dressing). And gathering the greens isn’t hard either; at most an hour outside at a time of year when you’re really looking for excuses to finally get outside again, and fun with kids sharing the work. But _cleaning_ the greens takes about eight hours of constant active work. How are you cleaning your greens? Sounds like you’re working too hard. No need for multiple rinses, just fill the sink, swish the greens and then let them soak for 10 minutes to let the sand fall to the bottom of the sink. Scoop 'em out into a salad spinner and let your smallest child go to town with the spinner. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/56 "2015-10-31T15:28:59Z")
The sand might settle out, but after about ten iterations of that, you’re still picking out bits of humus. Plus the grass, of course. I have heard, though, that a salad spinner speeds things up a fair bit. Might need to get one of those. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/57 "2015-10-31T15:36:55Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > **Don’t deep-fry chicken.** PAN-FRY chicken. > > I use only a half-cup of oil (and trust me, it ain’t expensive EVOO), anb wipe out the cooled grease with paper towels. Leave a tablespoon or two behind along with the brown bits, 'cause you need that pan gravy. How big is your pan? And how do you dispose of the used oil? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/58 "2015-10-31T19:26:07Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > How big is your pan? And how do you dispose of the used oil? I have a 14-inch cast iron skillet, but I get better results with one of my 12-inch stainless steel pans. Heresy, I know. Because of the 12-inch limitation I try to get smaller chickens, around three pounds. Or I just use thighs, because they’re my favorite When the chicken is done I let it drain on flattened brown paper bags. I soak up much of the used oil in the pan with paper towels and throw them away. I leave enough grease and browning behind to add flour, make a roux, and turn it into gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/59 "2015-10-31T19:30:44Z")
> [@May\_20](#): > > My mother-in-law taught me how to make chicken 'n dumplings. Yummy, but yikes! What a time-consuming and touchy meal to make! > > Boil the chicken to cook the meat (though you can use leftover carcasses) and make the dumpling broth. I add carrots, celery, and onion at this stage for flavor. My MIL does not. > Let chicken cool, then shred. > Take some broth and add butter, salt, and pepper - this is the touchy part. Mess this up, and you can ruin the whole batch. No exact amounts, but you “overseason” the broth because then you add flour to the right consistency, so you’re seasoning the dumplings. > Roll out thin, and cut into long strips. Let dry while the broth comes back to a boil. > Add noodles and chicken to broth. Cook until noodles are done. > > There are no exact measurements; it’s all taste and adjust and estimate. That and the time commitment are what make this dish such a pain. > > But it’s yummy comfort food at its best. I make it about 3-4 times a year. I consider chicken and dumplings to be a snap to make. Cook as much chicken as you want in homemade chicken stock to cover, along with a chopped onion, carrot, celery stalk, garlic clove, parsley, and bay leaf. Salt & pepper. After an hour take the chicken out, let it cool, and bone it. Make the dumpling batter and drop it by spoonfuls into the simmering soup. (Drop dumplings are easy, attractive, and delicious. Why bothering with the rolling and cutting?) After 20 minutes, put the chicken meat back in and serve it up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202/60 "2015-10-31T19:57:11Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I consider chicken and dumplings to be a snap to make. Cook as much chicken as you want in homemade chicken stock to cover, along with a chopped onion, carrot, celery stalk, garlic clove, parsley, and bay leaf. Salt & pepper. > > After an hour take the chicken out, let it cool, and bone it. Make the dumpling batter and drop it by spoonfuls into the simmering soup. (Drop dumplings are easy, attractive, and delicious. Why bothering with the rolling and cutting?) After 20 minutes, put the chicken meat back in and serve it up. You can also just drop in ready-made biscuit dough if you’re especially lazy. C&D is one of my go-to can’t-be-arsed-to-figure-out-what-to-cook meals, but you can make it as easy or as complicated as you want. I do drop dumplings myself, not rolled out noodles, as that’s what I’m used to (so, something that looks [like this](http://www.awesomebites.com/2011/02/chicken-and-dumplings/), except I make my soupy part a bit thicker and sometimes a bit creamy.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dishes-you-like-but-are-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass-to-cook/736202.md?page=4)