Reheating pre-cooked chicken roulade?

[MSoups]

Hi all, I am having some people over Saturday night for a Hanukkah dinner and am planning on making (among other stuff) chicken roulade (feta and oregano). I can cook the other stuff ahead of time and it'll be fine, but the chicken is pretty much an attention whore and I'd like to cook it in advance if possible. My question is, how far in the recipe should I go (i.e. do everything except cut the chicken into to avoid juice loss?) & if I do reheat the chicken will it dry it out or affect the feta at all?

 

[Andy M.]

I think you can taste the difference in reheated chicken. I'd want to avoid the for a special dinner for guests. I recommend you look for efficiencies elsewhere.

 

[MSoups]

Even if the chicken is reheated in the oven or on the stovetop?

I might try it tonight, I'm planning on doing a test run of the roulades tonight anyway (since I've never cooked them before) so I'll just chill a piece and reheat it a couple hours later.

 

[medtran49]

I'm guessing you aren't keeping kosher? And how are you cooking it that it takes a lot of attention? You can fill, shape, tie or skewer the day before, cover and refrigerate. Then before dinner it's just searing and sticking in the oven to bake for a bit. Once the filling/shaping/tying are done, I've never found it to be a big deal when I've made chicken or beef roulades.

 

[Cheryl J]

I'm with Andy, I wouldn't reheat this dish for a special party. You could prepare the roulades in advance earlier in the day though, and store them in the fridge. Just take them out a half hour or so before you plan on cooking them, while your oven is heating up. It doesn't take very long to cook roulades, especially if you brown them on the stove top first. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[cinisajoy]

Like the rest, I wouldn't try reheating. Like another poster, that dish doesn't sound kosher.
Good luck with your party.

 

[GotGarlic]

Even if the chicken is reheated in the oven or on the stovetop?

I might try it tonight, I'm planning on doing a test run of the roulades tonight anyway (since I've never cooked them before) so I'll just chill a piece and reheat it a couple hours later.

Yes. It won't have that freshly cooked, roasty juicy flavor.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[MSoups]

Thanks everybody for your help!

@medtran & cinisajoy - no I'm not. I kept kosher for a number of years but wasn't raised kosher so being kosher would actually be out of the norm...although I am playing with the idea of spinach and asparagus instead of feta and oregano...

Either way, preparing them in advance and refridgerating is a good idea - I can cook them just before while people get settled at the table and get drinks.

 

[cinisajoy]

Thanks everybody for your help!

@medtran & cinisajoy - no I'm not. I kept kosher for a number of years but wasn't raised kosher so being kosher would actually be out of the norm...although I am playing with the idea of spinach and asparagus instead of feta and oregano...

Either way, preparing them in advance and refridgerating is a good idea - I can cook them just before while people get settled at the table and get drinks.

I guess the question would be do some of your guests keep kosher?
For this occasion, I would recommend kosher so everyone can eat everything.

 

[MSoups]

No - its me, my girlfriend, my mother and my girlfriends family. My mom has never kept kosher and my girlfriend and her family aren't Jewish. I may make it a meat dish yet (asparagus and spinach instead of oregano and feta..especially since I dont like feta)

 

[cinisajoy]

Well now if you don't like feta, don't use it.
I thought you meant an actual dinner party, with neighbors, old friends, new friends and the requisite strange one. (That one brought obviously store bought cookies still in the tray and said she had made them herself.)

 

[jennyema]

Just make sure you cook it completely before you refrigerate it. Par-cooked chicken is a recipe for food poisoning.

The problem with cooking it ahead of time is that you run the risk of drying it out or making it tough when you reheat it.

 

[MSoups]

Goodness no cinisajoy - I'm not quite ready to entertain that many folks. Some day maybe

Jennyema - I would definitely cook it completely, and drying out is my fear. I'm just going to take advice of some of the others and do everything except cook it several hours earlier and then cook it just before service

 

[GotGarlic]

I've made chicken roulade with goat cheese and roasted red peppers Spinach would be nice in that. I would roast asparagus as a side. I think it's would be overcooked by the time the chicken is cooked through. We like it just barely done.

 

[jennyema]

Just gonna say...

Prepping the roulade and putting it in the fridge may mean that the inside stuffing won't get to 165 before the outside gets overdone.

Cold stuffing can be tricky. And it must get to 165 since its been immersed in raw chicken juice for hours...

 

[MSoups]

Shoot Jennyema - you sound just like my mother when it comes to chicken...which means that if she knew I had prepped beforehand and whatnot she'd refuse to eat...

I just made 1 breast of each of the two I was trying to choose between and gotta say it was much easier than I thought so I may just begin prep 10 minutes or so before they get here so that its going in the skillet when they walk in.

On a side note - if the chicken is cooked through all the way, is it safe to assume that the stuffing is as well? If not, how can I check the temp of that - especially the asparagus which would still be kinda stiff and have small air pockets between stalks?

 

[Andy M.]

...On a side note - if the chicken is cooked through all the way, is it safe to assume that the stuffing is as well? If not, how can I check the temp of that - especially the asparagus which would still be kinda stiff and have small air pockets between stalks?

Both the chicken and the cuffing must reach a minimum cooked temperature of 161ºF. Use an instant read thermometer inserted into the stuffing.

I recommend cooking the asparagus and other raw ingredients fully before making the roulades.