“Foam should be used for shaving and not to go on top of food. When foam hits a plate, unless you eat it within three or four seconds, at the end it looks like sort of toxic scum on a stagnant pool,” said Gordon Ramsay during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit today. The British chef said that he had started to use foam in the 90s and is amazed that it is still around. “We need to get rid of the foam and keep the foam for shaving,” said the chef to a Reddit user.
Ramsay launched his first ever mobile game #GordonRamsayDASH where gamers get to build their own restaurant empire with Ramsay as their guide. The game is available on iTunes Store and Google Play and has already received some great reviews.
The award-winning chef and restaurateur has 30 restaurants world wide and has presented television programmes like Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, MasterChef Junion and Hotel Hell.
Asked what was the easiest dish to get wrong and how to avoid it, Ramsay said that the easiest dish that can turn into something awful would be cooking a great steak. “Serving a New York strip, for instance, for me the most important thing is taking it out of the fridge 15 minutes before you actually use it, so it gets to room temperature. Season it properly, and then cook it once it’s up to room temperature.”
He says the biggest mistake that people make once they’ve cooked a steak is to instantly cut into the middle of it. “You’ve got to let the steak rest for as long as you cook it. That way, it’s plump, it’s juicier, and don’t worry about the temperature being piping hot, but just the value and the difference in flavor once you’ve let a New York strip rest for 6 or 7 minutes. The difference is night and day. So, great sear, but let it rest.”
Asked what he uses a microwave for, Ramsay said there is an amazing way of drying herbs in a microwave. “You get a plate, plastic wrap, and then rub a whole basil leaf in just a touch of olive oil and then lay it on cling film. Press for 45 seconds in the microwave. They come out crispy! It’s almost like shallots fried but they get such a quick temperature, it dies and crisps out the basil leaves within seconds. So I do use a microwave, only to sort of lightly fry basil, tarragon leaves without deep fat frying. It’s incredible.”
Ramsay said that the chef he most enjoyed working with was Guy Savoy. “He is one of the most inspirational chefs I’ve ever had a chance to work with. You know, I was 22 years of age, I was on my knees, I didn’t have a pot to piss in, and I was working on the lowest salary anywhere in France. But, that guy gave me hope, he gave me light, and he gave me support.”
Someone asked him what he would order for his last meal on death row. In typical Ramsay style, the British chef said he was not that bad to be on death row. He said he had been asked the question hundreds of time and has never asked it. “If it was my last supper, ask me that question in 40 years’ time when I’m 90 years of age, I can’t go to the bathroom properly, and I need my ass wiped on a regular basis. Until now, I’m miles away so f…. off,” he said.
He was asked his opinion on what five dishes everyone needs to know how to cook. Ramsay said everyone enjoys a great burger, so that’s really important. “You get that really smart blend. Burger would be number one. A healthy breakfast. Whether it’s poached eggs, smashed avocado, or an amazing omelette. Now that is crucial! That’s dish number two a really good breakfast.”
“Number three would be a braising dish. Like a braised short rib because it’s the kind of thing you can cook on a Monday and still eat on Friday. So a braising dish, whether it’s braised short rib, tri-tip, just something really cool braised! Then from a healthy point of view; a chicken dish, in terms of a white protein, would be a go to favorite with a chicken. Whether it’s a sauteed chicken or even a delicious marinade with chicken caesar salad.
“Finally, for my fifth dish, I would turn that into some amazing cake. It could be a Blondie or a Chocolate Brownie, something you can give as a gift. Taking amazing deserts, as a gift, to somebody and eating it with them is so much more enjoyable then buying them a scarf, or a Jumper, or a pair of socks. Spending three or four hours making this thing, and spending hundreds of dollars on ingredients, and doing something magical, is far more exciting then buying a fucking jumper that you know they aren’t going to wear!”
Asked what he was proud of, Ramsay said he was proud professionally to still have the same team that opened up restaurant Gordon Ramsay in 1998. “There is still the same chef, the same maître d’, 18 years later. Retaining the 3 Michelin stars that we’ve done now, for 14 years, being London’s longest restaurant serving with that recipient of 3 Michelin stars
“And then on the personal front, obviously, you know, this industry fragments a lot of families. If there’s one thing I’ve learned with my children, teaching them how to cook early on in life has brought them closer to my industry. So if they’re gonna follow it as a career, they know how to cook. They’ve been cooking since they were 5. I just see the confidence it gives them, walking into the kitchen with their mates and cooking a dinner together. So watching them, let’s say follow in my footsteps, but also understanding the essence of passion, and whether they become a police officer or a fireman, I’ve just installed that level of passion.And then finally, I would say this December, I celebrate 20 years with my wife Tana. So, I’m blessed with support, but more importantly, keeping life real, I think. That’s been the most important part.”
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