Few chefs have managed to turn their professional kitchen and cooking techniques into prime-time entertainment as well as Gordon Ramsay. He has it all, unlike Captain America: the Michelin-starred restaurants, the cookbooks, undiluted adoration, and the culinary pedigree, but his real superpower might be his ability to make cooking feel like high drama.
From Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares to MasterChef and Uncharted and more, Ramsay has built a television persona that is partly chef, partly mentor and mostly a magnificently talented yet moody referee. His own restaurant group describes him as an internationally renowned, multi-Michelin-starred chef with restaurants spanning several countries.
Born on 8 November 1966, Ramsay turns 60 this year. He began his extensive career by training with chefs such as Albert Roux, Marco Pierre White, Guy Savoy, and Joël Robuchon before opening his own place, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in 1998, which earned three Michelin Stars in record time. So, on his 60th birthday, here is a delicious way to celebrate the iconic chef Ramsay: forget his shouting for perfection for the moment and don your cooking apparel for a delicious and fun-filled exploration of some of his must-try dishes.
Iconic Dishes Of Gordon Ramsay That You Must Practise To Avoid Being An Idiot Sandwich
Gordon Ramsay's Soft Scrambled Eggs
If there is one Ramsay technique worth learning for an ordinary breakfast, it is his approach to making the perfect scrambled eggs. His method is deliberately gentle: eggs go into a cold pan with butter, and the heat is controlled rather than cranked up high. The result should be creamy, loose, and barely set for the ideal bite. For making this breakfast for two, you will need 6 eggs, 40g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp crème fraîche, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, along with 2 slices of sourdough toast.
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First, crack your eggs into a cold non-stick saucepan and then tip in the butter. Place the pan over low to medium heat, stirring continuously with a spatula. Remove your pan from the heat when your eggs are nearly cooked but still glossy, then stir in the crème fraîche. Finally, season according to taste and pile over toasted sourdough.
Teriyaki Salmon
This is Ramsay at his most accessible: salmon (if unavailable, any boneless fish fillet of your choice), ginger, garlic, and a simple sweet-savoury glaze, with very little fuss. His original recipe marinates four fillets in soy sauce, maple syrup, and mirin before finishing them in a frying pan. To create this dish for 4, you shall require 4 salmon fillets (about 500g total), 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 garlic cloves, 2cm fresh ginger, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
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Start by mixing your soy sauce, maple syrup, mirin, sliced garlic, and ginger. Pour the mixture over your seasoned salmon pieces and marinate for at least 20 minutes. Then sear them skin-side down in a lightly oiled pan for about 2 minutes, before adding the marinade and cooking briefly. Finally, turn and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, basting the fillets until glazed and cooked through.
Jerk Chicken
Ramsay's jerk chicken is a dish that makes a very strong argument and culinary demand for a properly stocked spice cupboard. Scotch bonnet, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are essential for giving the chicken a deep, aromatic flavour and heat, rather than simply making it fiery. His recipe prefers chicken legs.
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So, to try this recipe for two people, you will need 4 large chicken legs, 1 to 2 Scotch bonnet chillies, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Initially, blitz or crush your marinade ingredients with olive oil and rub the mix thoroughly into your knife-scored chicken. Marinate for at least an hour, preferably overnight. Then brown the chicken pieces in an ovenproof pan, pour in the Worcestershire sauce and roast at 220°C for about 20 minutes; you can also grill for a couple of minutes towards the end for extra colour. Serve hot with rice.
Shrimp Scampi With Capellini
For a quick yet elegant dinner, Ramsay's shrimp scampi is truly hard to ignore. It pairs delicate capellini with prawns, garlic, chilli, lemon, cherry tomatoes, capers, and a buttery seafood sauce. The final plate looks Michelin-worthy without even requiring a restaurant-sized kitchen or top-level chef techniques.
To cook this delectable dish for one, you shall forage 115g capellini, 8 to 12 peeled prawns, 3 garlic cloves, 1 small shallot, 2 tsp chilli flakes, 60g cherry tomatoes, 100ml white wine, 100ml seafood stock, 2 tbsp capers, 55g butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 lemon, basil, Parmesan, salt, and black pepper.
First, cook your shallot and garlic in olive oil. Now add wine and cook till it reduces, then add stock, chilli, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tomatoes. Poach your prawns in the sauce for about a minute per side. Finally, stir in the butter, toss with your cooked capellini and finish with basil and Parmesan for a truly memorable plate.
Fish Pie
Ramsay's fish pie is a really comforting counterpoint to his restaurant moods and theatrics. Here, a creamy filling of salmon, cod or haddock, scallops and prawns peek cosily from under a buttery mashed-potato lid. The beautiful result is akin to his heartwarming interactions with children and young chefs, but on your taste buds.
It is substantial, deeply British and particularly suited to a hearty Sunday meal. To whip up this satisfying meal for 4, you will need 180g salmon, 250g cod or haddock, 200g scallops, 150g prawns, 2 shallots, 40g butter, 250ml stock, 200ml milk, 4 tbsp double cream, 4 tbsp plain flour, 3 tbsp parsley, 750g potatoes, 75g butter, 50ml milk, 2 egg yolks, and 75g Cheddar cheese.
Start by cooking your potatoes until tender and mash them with butter and hot milk. Then make a sauce with shallots, butter, flour, stock, milk, and cream. Once done, add in the fish, seafood, parsley, and lemon juice. After the entire mix is cooked, it is time to transfer the lot to a pie dish, top with mashed potato and cheese, and then bake at 200°C until bubbling and golden.