Chrissy Teigen is getting roasted by Jamaicans after showcasing her rice and peas dish cooked in the oven.
Chrissy Teigen and hubby John Legend love them some island flavor not just in the studio but also in the kitchen. Last weekend, Chrissy showed off her chef skills and made a full Jamaican meal at home for the family. Calling her oxtail and broad beans “iiiiiiiincredible,” she shared the end result as well as the recipe to her IG page for her first attempt at rice and peas. The uncovering of her version of the island Sunday staple got fans on her page got fans in their feels, showering her with compliments and even asking, “where do you find a scotch bonnet pepper in Los Angeles?” Over on TSR repost, however, her averse comments section was singing a different tune.
Chrissy Teigen’s culinary interests go well beyond preparing the occasional exotic dish and was inspired by her Thai heritage. She actually has a mini food empire that includes popular recipe blogs, two New York Times Best Selling cookbooks plus a couple of Cooking channel series.
The model, mom, and author clearly did her homework on the Jamaican dish, making sure to get the name, method, and key ingredients right, according to several who approved it in the comments section. The contention for some came when she chose to finish the dish in the oven, which is not how the meal is typically prepared. But as Teigen tells it, the oven finish method is a personal and recent fascination of hers as a chef, not an attempt to rewrite traditions.
“Jamaican rice and peas! Yes it’s beans. And yes it’s called rice and peas,” she began. “Ginger, garlic and allspice berries are wrapped in cheesecloth and steeped in hot coconut milk and red beans, for hours until the aroma fills the house and the beans are tender. Then it’s poured over uncooked white rice, green onions and cracked peppercorns, and finished in the oven for about 25 minutes. Don’t forget to toss a scotch bonnet pepper into the milk! Oven rice is pure, wholesome perfection and I’m currently fascinated by it. I’ll share on the site in the next couple of weeks!” she said.
However, on TSR’s page, which is rarely friendly when Chrissy Teigen is the topic, the talented cook was roasted over the presentation and even the presumed taste of the dish. A sampling of the snide remarks includes: “Whatever’s in that pot has nothing to do with Jamaica lol cool out,” while another troll admitting that it did, in fact, look like the real deal quipped, “Not everything that looks good tastes good,” with some sinister emoji side-eyes. The bulk of the comments were ‘Pizzagate’ references, which is an internet conspiracy theory that implicates Teigen in a child sex trafficking ring operating via a Washington, D.C. pizza parlor.
She’s defended herself against those claims in the past, and anyone who keeps up with the unfiltered personality knows that she’s long since moved on. As lockdowns linger, conditions are ripe for recipes and other homebound content, and Chrissy Teigen’s likely cooking up a storm to serve the socially starved masses.
