Return of The Pewter Chef - Battle Cheetos

Our friends in travel and culinary adventure Count and Contessa P after a past Pewter Chef meal had come up with a diabolical challenge - one they were convinced would stump PC. The challenge?

CHEETOS AS THE KEY INGREDIENT
and
THE COOKING MUST BE DONE AT THE COUNT'S ESTATE!

The Count was convinced that The Pewter Chef would cop out and just throw a few perfunctory
Cheetos to meet the requirement. Pah! When one is a chef of metallic proportions (even pewter), you would never stoop so low. So instead we had:

• Spring Mix Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing and Cheetos Croutons
• Cheetos Encrusted Tilapia Fillets
• Chicken Roasted with Cheetos Pimenton Butter with Cheetos Pimenton Sauce

Note on pictures - The Count P promised...promised that he would not pull a Gaius Derf and forget about his photo journalistic responsibilities. Well he was somewhat better but in all honesty had be be reminded numerous times. I'm beginning to think it is Wife's beguiling conversation that is keeping them from fulfilling their duties. Also the pictures were taken on the Count's phone.

First things first - need to inventory what I've got to work with

Breaking down the Cheetos was a critical element. We started by using the food processor on site but had problems getting it to work.

Ahh. Good think I had the foresight to bring my own Cuisinart!

For the chicken, I made a flavored butter with ground up Cheetos, garlic powder, pepper, and pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)

There is a technique where you put flavored butter under the skin of a chicken before you roast it and I used it for this.

Making the Salad

After making lardons (batons) of crispy bacon, I took the bacon fat and used it to make a vinegrette with aged 25 year-old sherry vinegar.

In the meantime, the Contessa cut Original Cheetos into croutons.

Salads assembled and presented

The Count and I have had some transmission issues with the remainder of the pictures so hopefully we will get the rest of them up tomorrow :)

Note to Frito-Lay - I am ready to be commissioned to produce the "Cheetos Cookbook" and have already come up with numerous additional recipes)