Nigella Lawson recently sparked mixed reactions with her "fish finger mash" dish on "Saturday Kitchen Live," a BBC television show. Known for her inventive cooking, the British TV chef adapted a traditional Indian recipe, baingan bharta, by incorporating British fried fish sticks into the dish. The original baingan bharta involves mashing grilled eggplant with tomatoes, onions, herbs, and spices.
During the episode, which aired on Saturday, Lawson demonstrated the preparation of this unusual fusion, adding ingredients like English mustard, ginger, garlic, red onion, coriander, salt, spinach, lime juice, and red chilies to enhance the flavors. She emphasized that the "mashed component" was essential to this dish, choosing to overcook the fish fingers slightly to facilitate easier mashing.
However, the adaptation did not sit well with some viewers. Criticisms surfaced on social media, with one viewer calling it her "worst idea ever" on X (formerly Twitter). Despite the backlash, Lawson tasted the dish on camera and appeared to enjoy the result, illustrating her continued enthusiasm for culinary experimentation.