‘I am Not an Idiot Sandwich’: ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Impresario Gordon Ramsay’s Viral Reaction to 13-Year-Old Chef Prodigy Sends Social Media Into a Frenzy
Like most TV personalities, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has a TikTok and is active on the video-sharing platform to showcase his culinary skills and diverse interests. He even does reaction videos of other cooks in action. Recently, he came across a video featuring a young chef named William, whom Ramsay has dubbed a “Kid Genius.”
The 13-year-old was cooking a particularly challenging gourmet Beef Wellington and executed it so well that he left the OBE winner spluttering in amazement.
William, a Black teen based in Phoenix, said he only wanted to get 1 million views, but after his DYI video appeared on Ramsay’s TikTok profile, he got up to 15.8 million views and an invitation to “Hell’s Kitchen.”
“So here we go, Beef Wellington,” Ramsay starts his reaction video saying. “Now, young man, first of all, are you 12 years of age?”
Within seconds of the video, Ramsay was impressed by William’s technique. “Nice sear. Dude, you are handling this recipe with such confidence. Well done,” he says.
Ramsay was also impressed by William’s knife skills and the way he prepared the “chestnut mushrooms” for the dish, noting that they provided “the best flavor” for the recipe.
“This is looking good, young man,” Ramsay says as he tries to direct him to make the spinach crepe thinly, but a comment made in vain. The kid had everything under control.
“Dude, this is very good, seriously. I wasn’t cooking like this at 12. In fact, young man, do you know what? This is looking that good. I would like to invite you to ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ as my guest,” the chef declared, adding, “Check your DMs. Well done.”
William, whose Facebook profile says he’s actually 13, then posted a response video to Ramsay’s reaction and, at the end, slammed two pieces of bread across his face and said, “I guess I am not an idiot sandwich.”
“Idiot sandwich” refers to a phrase coined by Ramsay, given to incompetent cooks in the kitchen. The phrase has gone viral on social media, making its way onto memes and also becoming the title of Ramsay’s new online competition show.
@cooking_withwilliam
I guess i am not an idiot sandwich #trending #beefwellington @Gordon Ramsay
♬ original sound – Cooking with William
Others were also blown away by William, commenting on his profile, “Young man that is my favorite dish and it’s impossible to have because few places serve it (it’s so hard to make) and neither myself or my wife can make it. But dang that looked absolutely AMAZING. God bless you on all your endeavors!”
Another joked, “New insult ‘I’ve seen a 12 years old make a better beef Wellington than that.’”
Williams’ family got love, too. “Shoutout to his parents … for having him doing something constructive instead of in the streets,” a social media comment read.
The youngster’s Instagram says that he is “self-taught” and cheekily states that he cooks because he is “always hungry.”
There’s no word on whether William took Chef Ramsay up on the offer, but we’re sure the link up will happen soon.
