The Controversial Dish Chef Jamie Oliver Wishes He Never Showcased On Food Network

Jamie Oliver has always championed British cuisine, and arguably the most iconic recipe of his career is the classic steak sarnie. However, the celebrity chef also hasn't had qualms about folding elements from other cuisines into his culinary creations, which has sometimes garnered him unfavorable attention. The star of the erstwhile BBC series "The Naked Chef" has repeatedly come under fire for stumbling on the wrong side of the line that divides taking inspiration and appropriating from other cultures. Sometimes it wasn't the appropriation of the dish itself, but how the chef chose to introduce it. One of the most egregious examples of this happening, which eventually led the chef to change the dish's name on his website, was when he demonstrated the (now infamous) Empire Roast Chicken on Food Network.

Featured on his Food Network show  "Jamie's Great Britain" and in a cookbook of the same name, the recipe's calling card seemed inspired by the British colonial rule over India. To make matters worse, the chef toasted the "empire" and talked glowingly of trade routes in the episode (per CNN). The cookbook and episode came out in 2011, and cultural sensitivity has since prevailed, with the dish now being called spiced roast chicken. This was not the only time Jamie Oliver rubbed people the wrong way. The celebrity chef has even received death threats in the past for his take on traditional recipes.

There are numerous examples of chefs regretting dishes they've made for the Food Network, and quite often it's because the recipe didn't turn out well or live up to the chef's standards. Jamie Oliver's now-renamed empire chicken has no such pitfalls. Problematic name aside, the recipe is a blend of rich Indian spice flavors and British cooking technique. Comprising three broad elements, each infused with numerous aromatics and spices, the chicken dish with potatoes on the side is a complete dinner (or, as Oliver's website calls it, "Sunday roast meets Friday night curry").

The dish starts off with a whole chicken, marinated in ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala (a traditional Indian spice blend), and ground cumin, along with minced garlic and ginger. The marinade uses yogurt as a base — a method widely used in traditional Indian cooking and thought to have originated in Central Asia. The lactic acid in yogurt tenderizes meat while also adding a subtle flavor, resulting in succulent, flavorful morsels. 

The gravy to go along with the chicken uses cloves and cinnamon blended with the British staple Worcestershire sauce, along with chicken stock and white wine vinegar. Finally, Oliver's side of Bombay-style potatoes is roasted with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garam masala, and turmeric, then garnished with freshly chopped coriander. The final result is a combination of deep flavors from the spices, which develop during the long roasting time, contrasted with herby and tangy notes from the coriander, lemon, yogurt, and vinegar.