Riz Ahmed is transported by our braised chicken with pickled cucumbers

Dish

Wednesday, 4 November 2026 - 56 minutes

A fusion of flavours for a man of many roles.

Award-winning actor and rapper Riz Ahmed joins us this week, known for his roles in TV shows like the Emmy-winning The Night Of, alongside performances in hit films such as Four Lions, Nightcrawler and Sound of Metal. He also co-wrote and starred in the Oscar-winning The Long Goodbye. From acting in Hollywood blockbusters to screenwriting, Riz can do it all, even sleep without a pillow… but more on that later.

Away from the screen, Riz is an inquisitive food lover with a passion for layered flavours and unexpected combinations. It’s a tailor-made opportunity for Angela to cook braised chicken with pickled cucumbers, inspired by the Filipino classic adobo. Paired with a bottle of Familie Mantler Gemischter Satz, selected by the Waitrose wine experts, it makes the perfect backdrop for chats about a childhood surrounded by his mum’s cooking, his firm stance on beansprouts, and his latest role as sous chef to his wife.

In our time with Riz, we learn that his love of acting started young, with a childhood spent dreaming up films and acting them out in the kitchen. These days the sets are slightly bigger, and certainly more people helping bring the story to life. He tells Nick and Angela about his new film, Digger, a bold black comedy from Alejandro González Iñárritu about the end of the world. Riz shares what it’s like working alongside co-star Tom Cruise, whose curiosity about everyone around him is as surreal as it is infectious; and, surprisingly, why a day on set with Tom comes with a great deal of clapping.

Luckily for Riz, we’re no strangers to a round of applause at Dish.

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A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish

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00:00 - Coming up on Dish…

00:49 - Welcome!

02:29 - Today’s guest & live show predictions

04:14 - Let’s chat vinegar

06:34 - Riz Ahmed is here!

07:17 - No pillow club