These Are Gordon Ramsay’s 5 Essential Basics To Cooking
You may know Gordon Ramsay from one of his million shows. The world-famous chef is probably known for making the most complicated dishes look simple. Ramsay just released a video on his YouTube channel showing five essential cooking skills everyone needs to learn.
The nearly 8-minute video features him showing us how to prepare foods like chopping onions, cooking rice, skinning and deboning a fish and cooking pasta. Ramsay also demonstrates the proper technique to sharpening a knife.
To kitchen newbies like us, this is a pretty solid crash course.
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How to chop an onion
Leave the root on the onion so that it doesn’t bleed and you start crying. Using three fingers, guide the knife with the knuckle of your middle finger. Cut towards the root, trying to get as close as you can with long strokes.
Push the onion back together and start cutting horizontally, using the weight of the blade to get to the root.
How to cook the perfect rice
Using Basmati rice, start with 400 grams of rice. Rinse off the dust and the starch of the rice in cold water. Put the rice into the pan and add three cardamom pods and two whole star anise.
Now, season the rice with hot water and add 600 mils of cold water (one part rice, one and a half part water). Throw a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil on high heat. As soon as it boils, turn it down to a simmer and let it steam for 8-10 minutes.
Just don’t remove the lid while you wait.
How to skin and debone fish
Taking your filleting knife, start cutting into the end of the fish until you separate the meat from the skin about halfway. Once you’re halfway through, you can wrap the skin you removed around your hand and pull the fish towards you as you continue cutting.
Take some tweezers, start picking out the bones.
How to sharpen a knife
Grip the steel of a knife sharpener like a tennis racket at 45 degrees. Take your knife and start moving it in long strokes along the steel from bottom to top.
Make sure to keep your fingers behind the handle of the steel. That can’t be stressed enough.
How to cook the perfect pasta
Throw some water into the pan and season the water with salt and olive oil. Bring the water up to a rolling boil and throw you pasta in. Gently twist the pasta with some tongs so that it’s submerged in the water.
When the pasta hits the texture you’re happy with, throw it into a colander and drain it. Add a light seasoning of salt, pepper and olive oil.
Mix the pasta together.
