The Man, The Kitchen, The Eggs
There’s not much to say to introduce Gordon Ramsay that you likely haven’t heard before. But we’re going to say it again because it never gets old. Chef, author, restaurateur, TikTok star, creative comeback machine and the list goes on. So even we were surprised when somehow Chef Ramsay found a little bit of time in his day to chat. What follows is our best attempt at luring him into the NYC diner game, his thoughts on egg preparation and a final ruling on the breakfast-in-bed debate.
“Like everything in life, learning to cook is all about the failure of your attempts. You have to be resilient and dust yourself down and go again.”
The Interview
Whalebone: One person, could be anyone, to make you pancakes for the rest of your life.
GORDON RAMSAY: I have so many great breakfast-makers in my life between my wife, Tana, my mum and the kids. But I’d have to say my daughter Tilly. She knows how to cook them (and make the perfect mess)!
WB: How many close calls did you have before you could successfully carve a chicken blindfolded? (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)
GR: None! But I certainly did not move that quickly on my first couple of attempts. I need all ten fingers.
WB: The first attempt at a dish that went completely awry?
GR: Like everything in life, learning to cook is all about the failure of your attempts. You have to be resilient and dust yourself down and go again. This came in handy when I made my first salted caramel soufflé. What a disaster!
WB: A meal when you weren’t expecting much but were absolutely blown away.
GR: I was in New Zealand filming my National Geographic show and I had a few days down in Auckland. We went down this alleyway to this restaurant in a basement called Cassia, and it had the most incredible modern Indian food. If there was a Michelin Guide in Auckland, that spot would have it.
WB: When you’ve woken up before someone else to prepare them breakfast, what is the feeling you’re wishing to express to them?
GR: Wakey wakey!!! Let’s get this day started on the right foot!
WB: Gordon Ramsay opens a diner-style breakfast spot in NYC. What is it called and what’s the best thing on the menu?
GR: Give ’Em Hell would have to be the name. And for the item? That’s a tough one. But I think we’d have to make the most incredible breakfast sandwich, starting with a delicious brioche bun, some chopped bacon at the bottom, topped with my now world-famous scrambled eggs, chives and finished with some cheddar cheese.
Wakey wakey!!! Let’s get this day started on the right foot!
WB: What’s more challenging: perfecting scrambled eggs or learning the latest TikTok dance with Tilly?
GR: Dancing with Tilly. I have size 15 feet, so dancing is tough. Making eggs, on the other hand, I can do that blindfolded.
WB: A dish no one could convince you to like—does a dish like this exist?
GR: Pineapple on a pizza. My Hawaiian pizza-loving chefs in the UK keep trying so, so hard to make this happen. So far I’m only slightly convinced … so stay tuned.
WB: Your favorite breakfast growing up?
GR: A bacon butty! That’s what we call a bacon sandwich in the UK. It’s simple: a great roll (sometimes with a little butter), some incredible bacon, and some brown sauce/HP sauce. Simple and delicious.
WB: Breakfast in bed: overrated or best idea ever?
GR: Overrated. Who wants bits of breakfast in their sheets?
WB: Is there a best way to prepare eggs? What is that?
GR: Depends on the type of person you are, but I think based on the millions of views, it’s safe to say I’m the scrambled type. And when you’re making them, always remember to take them on and off the heat and cool them down with crème fraîche at the end.
Thank you, Chef
