Why Gordon Ramsay Blew His Lid Over A Chicken Cranberry Sandwich
The first rule of meeting your idol is: Don't make fun of them. And definitely don't let your idol see you making fun of them.
That's just the position Chef Darryl Taylor, of Atlanta's Epicurean Drama Caterers, found himself in as a contestant on the television reality show "Next Level Chef," hosted in part by Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay has been lauded for years as first a chef and restaurateur (whose restaurant empire currently holds seven Michelin stars) and later as a hot-headed and demanding, but at turns witty and even empathetic television host on "Kitchen Nightmares," "Hell's Kitchen," and others. Ramsay is well known for his expectation of perfection in the kitchen from himself (as he once told The Guardian) and others and has scores of memes dedicated to his most memorable insults. Don't even think about cooking scallops for him unless you're really on point. Leave your lateness and sloppy plate presentation at the door. But a sandwich? Surely that's harmless. Except when it's not.
The Cranberry Culprit
Taylor, who earned the nickname 'Chef Drama' on "Next Level Chef" felt confident about his favorite sandwich when Ramsay asked — curry chicken with sun-dried cranberries. But, as Taylor relayed the story to Delish, Ramsay wasn't having it for a second and compared the filling to something a dog might leave on the sidewalk. This is shockingly one of Ramsay's nicer insults — he's just saying the sandwich doesn't sound good, not actually making a meme-worthy rant over the offensive bite.
Dried cranberries are far from unusual in chicken salads. Dried and fresh fruit and nuts aren't uncommon in American versions. In fact, when it comes to fruit, the U.K.'s popular coronation chicken recipe (apparently the first version of curried chicken salad, according to Panning the Globe) traditionally includes apricot. But something about that sun-dried cranberry just irked Ramsay past the point of no return. Unless...it wasn't the cranberry at all.
A Joke Always Breaks the Ice
In the Delish piece, Taylor joked, "I've always loved Gordon Ramsay. I would marry him if I could, just talking trash." He reconsidered his cheeky joke immediately after saying it and let the crew know it could be edited out but later realized that Ramsay had indeed seen the clip.
Here's the theory: Ramsay figured if Taylor could dish it, he could take it. Hence, the harsh sandwich criticism. Taylor didn't take the bait and pushed back, saying the 'wich is so good, "It'll make you slap your mama." With a comeback like that, Ramsay couldn't maintain his stern energy. He finally laughed and admitted he would taste it himself at some point.
Now that Taylor's earned his respect, he can only hope he'll earn his very own Gordon Ramsay full-out insult gif next. The lesson learned here is to be true to one's favorite recipes, defend culinary choices, never be afraid to break the tension with a laugh...and be careful when doing on-screen interviews.