GORDON Ramsay is one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, so why is he trying to take us back to the ’70s by showing us how to make steak Diane?
That cream-laden culinary throwback will be the centerpiece of the three-course meal Ramsay will teach viewers to prepare in a special, “Gordon Ramsay Cookalong Live.”
Laced with brandy and lit on fire, the dish is the kind of tableside trick Ramsay loves to employ on his shows “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.” After all, this is a man who doesn’t shy away from theatrics — or blond highlights. But you’d expect something a little more original from the chef who boasts Britain’s most Michelin stars.
Apparently, Ramsay couldn’t even be bothered to tailor his repertoire for an American audience. Last year, he taught Britain how to cook steak Diane on the original version of “Cookalong Live.”
Still, in a world where food TV is strictly entertainment, the premise of the show is refreshing: “Whether you love cooking, or never go near the kitchen, Chef Ramsay guarantees that you’ll be able to cook three delicious dishes in one hour if you just do what he says.” That includes downloading and printing a shopping and equipment list from fox.com in advance so that you can be ready to play line cook to Ramsay’s executive chef (now move your arse!).
And you have to admit, there’s something appealingly old-fashioned about a celebrity chef getting folks excited about hitting the kitchen. After all, it’s not as if Tom Colicchio is teaching you how to poach fish on “Top Chef.”
Still, our shopper’s search for the ingredients for the evening’s menu of angel hair pasta with shrimp, chili peppers and tomatoes, steak Diane and “quick” tiramisu was no small task.
For instance, why is a chef who extols the virtues of seasonal ingredients asking us to pick up heirloom tomatoes in the middle of December?
And a visit to both Morton Williams and Whole Foods supermarkets near Columbus Circle failed to turn up the Italian ladyfingers necessary for Ramsay’s not so “quick” tiramisu.
That wasn’t the only stumbling block. Even without the ladyfingers, our grocery bill for the evening’s long list of ingredients topped $100. Sure, that included four steaks but for that kind of money you could take a four-hour class at a bona fide cooking school. And if we’re meant to cook along live, why are we stuck serving a dinner for four at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night?
It’s just this sort of disconnect with the American audience that has helped sink Ramsay’s stateside projects. Just last week, it was reported that the London Hotel had taken over management of his flailing midtown restaurant off their lobby.
Don’t care to live out your very own “Kitchen Nightmare”? Then you can take some of Ramsay’s advice and “F— off, you f—ing Yankee Dankee Doodle s—t!”
Additional reporting by Kaitlyn Olson
‘Cookalong’ Shopping List
* 1 red chili pepper
* 5 large garlic cloves
* 1 large tomato (heirloom or beefsteak)
* 1 lemon
* Small handful of fresh basil leaves
* 3 scallions
* 4 ounces crimini or button mushrooms
* 3 small sprigs of rosemary
* Small handful of flat-leaf parsley
* 1 lb. Small waxy Yukon gold potatoes, halved
* 2 cups peas Meat/Fish
* ½ lb. medium-sized raw, peeled shrimp
* 4 small sirloin steaks (approx. 7 ounces each) Dairy
* 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
* 1 cup mascarpone
* 2 ½ tbsp. salted butter Pasta/Bread
* 7 oz. Angel hair pasta
* 4 Italian ladyfingers, or savoiardi Baking
* 4 tablespoons Marsala, or sweet dessert wine such as Vin Santo
* ¼ cup brandy or cognac
* ¼ cup white wine
* 1 cup cold strong coffee Condiments
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* Olive oil
* Extra virgin olive oil
* 1-2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, to taste
* 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard