Problems with parchment paper.

I have had 2 recent unsuccessful attempts at cooking with parchment paper. Both of these involved chicken; the first time wings and the second, today, drumsticks. I have to start off by saying that it is entirely my fault. Up until 2minutes ago I was going to unleash my fury on the cooks who said to use parchment paper with their recipes because it didn't work. I then went and checked the box (which I had to get out of the bin, I shall explain later) and I have been using WAX paper. These are NOT the same thing apparently! Courtesy of Wikipedia I now know that you can use parchment paper in any situation that calls for wax paper, but not vice versa, as wax paper will smoke in the oven (or even catch on fire!). So much makes sense now. 

I was so furious with the 2nd dish that didn't work out today! My drumsticks stuck to the paper, the paper tore off with them, bits of them tore off and stuck to the paper, the tray was a mess, the meat was barely recognisable, it was a disaster bar the fact that it tasted good. I had made parm/seasoned flour drumsticks, skin removed, dipped in egg white then rolled in the coating and baked, on wax paper instead of parchment paper. I have to say, I was a little puzzled by the smoke in the kitchen and decided it was from pizza night the other night and maybe some rogue cheese dripped onto the oven? 

My husband stumbled into the battle zone (angry me in the kitchen ripping chicken bits off a tray) and did 2 things. First off he said "Why don't you take pictures of this and write about how not to do something, it could be useful?" Secondly, after I yelled about things not working when they should and why do I keep trying, he said he could solve my problem. I have to say I was interested to see where this would go. He walked over to the draw, took the box of wax paper out and threw it in the bin! "There" he said, "Don't try to use it again". Love it!

I was too proud to take a picture of my chicken disaster, and the wing one was even worse because sometimes all the flesh came away from the bone and I just picked up a bone in my tongs while the rest stayed stuck to the paper! Pictures of food are supposed to be awe inspiring (aside from the one that I took of the pancake that I threw across the room in a rage!) But, I am not too proud to admit what I was doing wrong and perhaps save someone else's day too!

So, the moral of the story is; don't use wax paper in the oven, unless you are baking and the dough/batter covers it completely. It will smoke, and maybe catch on fire! And doesn't do the job of being a non stick surface. Alternatively, do use parchment paper. And when recipes or chefs tell you to use parchment paper, don't think that the wax paper you have is all one and the same, it isn't. The recipe won't work, you will be mad, they will still be right and you won't know why, so you may do it again, and so on. I am still a fan of tin foil, just as an aside.