By
Roberta Muir
Football
star turned Michelin-starred chef. A
Scot by birth, raised in England, now with restaurants in both London and
Glasgow. A reputation for being a
tyrant in the kitchen, yet with a loyal team of chefs who make it possible for
him to maintain a frenetic workload including running a number of the UK’s most
highly regarded restaurants, writing cookbooks (five to date) and consulting to
companies such as Singapore Airlines.
Gordon Ramsay appears to be a man of contradictions. The media love talking about his temper as
much as about his cooking, something which clearly annoys him, but which he’s
come to realise is part of the media circus that surrounds someone with his level
of success. Ramsay is a man driven,
believing that the only recipe for success is to work, and to work hard! Sure, he drives his chefs relentlessly, but
he asks nothing more of them than he asks of himself: total dedication and a
constant striving for perfection. He
believes that Britain has brilliant produce, and that skill, dedication and
technique can make the most of that produce.
With a total of seven restaurants in the UK (with five Michelin stars between them), and two more due to
open, as well as involvement in two restaurant in Dubai, and talk of possible
US or Japan ventures soon, Ramsay is a man who knows more than a few ‘tricks of
the trade’. These are what he imparts
to readers in his latest book: Gordon Ramsay’s Secrets.
This
collection of over 100 recipes is arranged according to primary ingredient:
shellfish, fish, birds, meat, pasta & rice, vegetables, eggs, fruit, baked
goods and an invaluable section on stocks, sauces and dressings. Ramsay intends the book to be much more than
a collection of recipes, he believes there are groups of techniques that apply
to specific ingredients and, by arranging his chapters in this way, he provides
a cooking course for the reader. In the
introduction, Ramsay suggests: “Work your way through the recipes and you
should greatly improve your culinary knowledge and skills.” Gordon Ramsay’s secrets are often quite
basic, but not necessarily things the home cook knows. He seems to have succeeded where very few professional
chefs can: he has remembered (perhaps with the help of his co-authors Roz Denny
and Mark Sargeant) in stepping into the shoes of the non-professional cook, in
understanding what they know, and more importantly, what they might not
know. He starts by recommending a good
selection of sharp knives and good, heavy, non-stick pans. He also reminds readers to source the best
quality produce, free-range and organic, where possible, and to treat it with
respect.
Beyond
this basic advice however is a wealth of kitchen knowledge and basic tips
illustrated with clear colour photography.
Two lobster tails are tied together, head to tail with flesh-side facing
inwards, giving the neat round medallions that grace a salad of poached lobster
with potato and rocket. Curry powder
and other powdered spices are mixed with salt for sprinkling over fish or meat,
as this prevents the spices clumping together and enables the cook to apply a
light, even sprinkling. From
caramelising bitter leaves and lemon slices to floating olive oil filled ice
cubes in chilled soup and cooking meat sealed in a plastic bag to retain all
its natural juices, there are tricks throughout the book that will make many
peoples’ next dinner party easier and more impressive at the same time. The colour photographs include valuable
step-by-step colour diagrams of technique such as tying a rolled joint,
preparing a fresh crab and shaping ravioli.
There is also advice on special ingredients, from what to look for when
buying balsamic vinegar to making a quantity of beurre manié (a butter
and flour mixture) to keep on hand for thickening sauces. In the final chapter, Ramsay encourages his
readers to take the time to get the basics right (rather as one imagines he
must with the apprentices in his restaurants).
He stresses the importance of concentrating flavours with good stocks
and extracting the essence of ingredients in infused oils.
Rumour
has it Ramsay’s considering opening a cooking school sometime in the
future. For now however, reading Gordon
Ramsay’s Secrets is the best way to learn some of the tricks of the trade
from one of its greatest exponents, without risking the heat of his
professional kitchen.
Published
by: Quadrille Publishing Limited
ISBN 1
844000 37 0