Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has something of a reputation for being an outspoken food critic, to put things lightly. His television shows often feature a takedown — sometimes in discerning detail — of one dish or another. But it turns out that the British chef’s choice of “worst food” isn’t some complicated dish that you need to perfect down to the last pesky step — rather, it’s a mere vegetable that’s practically always on your grocery store’s shelves.
In an “ask me anything” Reddit thread, Ramsay revealed that if he had to pick a least favorite food, it would be overcooked Brussels sprouts. While he mentions that overcooked food in general is repellant to him, he singles out Brussels sprouts as the most vile offender in that camp. Brussels sprouts are naturally bitter at the best of times, so you can definitely see where the chef is coming from here. And since avoiding overcooked Brussels sprouts is as easy as tossing them in an ice bath after boiling, there’s no reason why you should have to endure Ramsay’s most despised food.
Brussels sprouts don’t have to be bland and boring
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Cleaning and prepping Brussels sprouts is one thing, but actually cooking them properly to get a tasty and not overcooked dish is another entirely. Not only will overcooked Brussels sprouts be disappointing to taste, but the large supply of hydrogen sulfide gas really stinks up the place (in fact, this is the thing Gordon Ramsay hates the most out of the whole overcooked Brussels sprouts fiasco). While you can’t un-cook your dish, you can certainly doll up your sprouts so that your dish brings more to the table than a smelly, bitter disappointment.
Lots of ingredients work really well with Brussels sprouts, giving them flavors that range from sweet to spicy and beyond. Hot honey can be a phenomenal boost to your little green veggies, or alternatively, you could take a page out of Ramsay’s book and serve your Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts — either or both are excellent ways to amplify this dish. Whatever you choose, as long as you steer closer to Guy Fieri’s favorite vegetable dish and further from Ramsay’s least favorite, you should be in for a fine meal.
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It goes without saying that Gordon Ramsay has shared several cooking tips and tricks in the culinary sphere. As one of the most famous chefs in the world, he’s won multiple awards for his restaurants and TV shows. We’ve seen him judge competitions and do the most for whipping novice chefs into top shape. But what kitchen tools does he use to whip up his stunning beef wellingtons or racks of lamb? Thankfully, it’s no secret – Gordon Ramsay’s cooking brand of choice is HexClad. In fact, he’s an avid endorser of the company’s cookware.
In a Facebook post, Ramsay says, “What type of cookware do I use at home? Only HexClad — it’s just that good. Built with patented hybrid technology, this is how I cook my dishes to absolute perfection.” HexClad is a cookware brand known for its hexagon-patterned pans that combine aluminum and stainless steel with a ceramic nonstick coating. He explains in greater detail that he enjoys the pans’ durability and easy-to-clean design.
He’s also been seen using the brand outside of explicit HexClad promotions. In a YouTube video of Ramsay teaching actors Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds how to cook, Reynolds even asks if it’s safe to use metal utensils on the pans, to which Ramsay claims he can “scratch all the way” without worries — something that might ruin Teflon nonstick pans.
Features that Gordon Ramsay enjoys in his cookware
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Typically, the issue with nonstick pans is that their protective coating wears down over time, meaning it’s easy to scratch off plastic flakes that could end up in your food. Many professional kitchens opt for stainless steel cookware, because of its durability, however, food can get stuck to the surface, making cleanup a hassle. It seems that HexClad strikes the middle ground between these two types of materials to make something better.
A key part of searing the perfect meat is even heat distribution, which Gordon Ramsay has noted is harder to achieve with other nonstick pans. He enjoys that the HexClad pans can be used for high-heat oven cooking applications at up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and thrown in the dishwasher afterward. The main drawback of HexClad seems to be its price tag; this six-piece set of pans runs for $399.99 on Amazon.
Expensive kitchen items like luxury cutting boards and hand-crafted Japanese knives may be a worthy investment for chefs, but casual home cooks can still fare well with any reputable cookware brand. However, for those interested in HexClad, the brand does offer a lifetime warranty so that customers can truly make their purchase worth the cost. Gordon Ramsay trusts HexClad enough in his kitchen, which is a strong endorsement on its own.
