Gordon Ramsay has had quite the year, which is why we’ve named him a top chef of 2016. Yet when I spoke to the chef in recent phone interview, the focus wasn’t on his tremendous accolades, but rather on young people in the kitchen and equipping them with the right information and tools to gain confidence in the kitchen. We spoke about the upcoming season of Masterchef Junior, what cooking values he’s instilled in his own children (now teenagers), and the essentials to stock in a kitchen, even on a budget. Spoiler: one’s an airfryer.
Gordon Ramsay: Shh! No one is supposed to know that! I’ve lived 50; I’ll live 50 more. I had the most amazing dinner. We’re shooting right now, Masterchef Junior. We had two treats. One in Vegas. My 15-year-old daughter, Tilly, and I actually have the same birthday. So, we never have it apart and she said, “Dad, look, you have way too many birthdays under your belt. It’s time to celebrate mine.” We have some exciting stuff going on in Vegas with new Fish & Chips shop. We have dinner at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, which was just incredible. She came and did the challenge with Masterchef Junior, with the kids, which was incredible.
We flew up to San Francisco. I had lots of friends fly in, 10 of us, and had dinner at Saison. It was exceptional. Honestly, it was even better than last time, which is quite rare when you go back for the second time . . .
We had golden caviar that was wrapped in seaweed and smoked from an albino sturgeon, which is quite rare. It sat over a bed of sea asparagus and tiny little broth. The big outstanding one was this briefly cured wild turbot that was done with a Japanese citrus broth [and] topped with peaceful salad leaves. It was exceptional. You got through nine to 10 courses and it was balanced. I think that’s the secret. Leaving the table without having to feel like you have to take to bed for days afterward. Few chefs can get that right.
GR: When I introduced them to the Philips Airfryer, I told them it was the best sous chef they will ever have in their entire lives. Holly, one of our twins, she is into her kale chips. Jack will put anything and everything in there. He is a steak man, so he cooks rib eye. Tilly is a little more dainty. She likes, I suppose, if it’s not a roasted vegetable salad, she’s roasting fish in there. Megan, as any student would be on a budget — quite a breakthrough for us, because that’s the first member of the Ramsay and the Hucheson family (my wife’s family) to be going to university. She’s now hosting these little dinner parties called Friday Fryer Parties. All her friends come around for a 10-course menu, all coming out of an airfryer. It’s very funny.
GR: First off, an airfryer without a doubt. Portable, easy to clean, and low-maintenance. Secondly, a good knife. The secret to a great knife is a weighted handle. Great set of knives with wonderful handles. If your grip is steady and you got that confidence running through that knife, it’s all about the handle. A chopping board. And then, I always like the staples. A great microplane, for grating. Whisk, bowls, and then go to the staples in the pantry. Dried spaghetti, olive oil, dried chilies, onions, and garlic powder. You’ll be surprised what you can eat with that on virtually $5. Even with those staple ingredients without any protein.
GR: We work with Blue Apron on Masterchef Junior, where [the contestants] are creating food from the box. What scared me was the numbers that have been increasing of the people who have the subscriptions. My assistant Justin Mandel also confessed to me on the way home that night that he is also subscribed to Blue Apron. I don’t mind you using that two to three times a week because of time restraints and pressure. I get that. But strolling through a supermarket and a farmers market, being spontaneous and going through incredible ingredients is quite refreshing, rather than everything becoming idiot-proof. But I understand time is of essence, so you can have it both ways. Just don’t depend on it. Use it as a time restraint only, when it’s only necessary.
