Is there any dish you hold sacred? Not sacred in the sense that you love it no matter what – but the exact opposite. This dish is acceptable to you in only a few ways and nothing else. If somebody adds a ‘weird’ ingredient to it you become a seething pot of rage.
It could be anything. I have friends that clench their teeth at the sight of sesame seeds on a pizza crust. I love it. Others gag at the thought of an egg in their burger, or pineapple on the pizza, or cream in their carbonara (this is the absolute fucking worst).
I have a soft spot for chicken pie myself, either the potato kind or the gravy kind. There’s something simple and innocent and heartwarming about chicken pie, know what I mean? It’s easy to make and they’re all mostly the same, but a chef can show their love for cooking in any number of small ways. Some might add sweet corn, or curry powder, or bacon. Or, as I learnt, some may try to ‘liven things up’ a bit and put broccoli in it. It doesn’t sound like too big a change perhaps, but it’s devastating.
Imagine being really damn hungry and cutting yourself off a slice of warm chicken pie, just out of the oven. You’re too hungry to put it on a plate and eat it with a fork and knife like a decent human being, so you grab it in one hand and start chomping at it like a starving caveman. The smoother filling is a taste of heaven itself…till you bite into something crunchy, hairy, and weird – broccoli. That was the day I realised I held chicken pie in as high a regard as I do a fine steak or a decent bacon cheeseburger.
So, tell us in the comments! What’s that one food you don’t want anyone messing with, and how did you realise you loved it so?
