Gordon Ramsay is one of the world’s most famous chefs known for his delicious recipes and expertise in the kitchen. He has published numerous cookbooks and hosted several popular cooking shows like Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, and Kitchen Nightmares. One of his signature dishes that he is renowned for is his chicken salad recipe. Chicken salad is a classic dish that is simple to make but hard to perfect. With just a few basic ingredients like chicken, mayonnaise, celery, onions, and seasonings, Chef Ramsay has mastered the art of creating a mouthwatering chicken salad bursting with flavor.
What ingredients does Gordon Ramsay use for his chicken salad?
Gordon Ramsay’s famous chicken salad recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients, but they are essential for building the flavor profile. Here are the key ingredients he uses:
– Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Poached or roasted.
– Mayonnaise – Helps bind and add moisture. Ramsay likes using good quality mayo.
– Celery – Diced small, adds crunch and freshness.
– Onion – Minced yellow or red onions give a punch of flavor.
– Parsley – Fresh curly parsley, chopped. Provides color and herby taste.
– Lemon juice – Brightens up all the flavors. Ramsay squeezes it fresh.
– Salt and Pepper – For seasoning to taste.
– Grapes or pecans (optional) – For some added sweetness or crunch.
The quality of the ingredients really matters when making any recipe, especially for simple dishes like chicken salad. Ramsay emphasizes using fresh, seasonal produce and the best chicken you can find. This elevates an ordinary chicken salad to extraordinary.
How does Gordon Ramsay cook the chicken for his salad?
Perfectly cooked chicken is the foundation of an excellent chicken salad. Here is Gordon Ramsay’s method for preparing tender, juicy chicken:
– Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Skinless is lower fat.
– Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. This flavors the meat.
– Poach the chicken in gently simmering water or broth until cooked through.
– Make sure not to overcook the chicken till dry and stringy. It should still be moist.
– Another option is to roast the chicken in the oven at 400°F until juices run clear.
– Let chicken cool slightly before chopping or shredding it into bite-size pieces.
– Poaching results in very tender chicken. Roasting gives you more texture and caramelized flavors.
– Both methods yield juicy, delicious chicken for the salad when done properly.
Properly seasoning, then gently poaching or roasting the chicken keeps it tender and infuses flavor throughout the meat. This gives Ramsay’s salad a big boost in taste compared to using plain boiled chicken.
What is Gordon Ramsay’s method for assembling the chicken salad?
Once you have perfectly cooked chicken and all the vegetables and ingredients prepped, here are Gordon Ramsay’s steps for putting together an incredible chicken salad:
1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled, chopped chicken pieces, diced celery, minced onion, and parsley.
2. Pour in real mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Gently toss everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Coat all the ingredients in the mayo dressing.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add more lemon juice for acidity or salt/pepper to taste.
5. For some crunch, stir in roasted pecans, sliced grapes, or chopped apple. Optional.
6. Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
7. Serve chicken salad scooped over a bed of lettuce or stuffed in a sandwich or wrap. Garnish with extra parsley.
Ramsay keeps the ingredients simple but packs a ton of flavor into each bite using quality ingredients, proper seasoning, fresh herbs, and a balance of textures. Letting the salad chill allows the chicken to soak up the juices for a unified taste in every forkful.
What are Gordon Ramsay’s tips for elevating chicken salad?
To take his famous chicken salad recipe from great to extraordinary, Chef Ramsay includes these pro tips:
– Use the best chicken you can find such as organic or free-range. Quality protein makes a difference.
– Poach chicken in homemade chicken stock rather than water for deeper flavor.
– Roast chicken with herbs and garlic to infuse flavors right into the meat.
– Play with different flavor profiles – tarragon, dill, basil, curry powder, citrus zest, mustard, etc.
– Toast the pecans before adding for crunch.
– Whisk quality mayo with mustard, honey, or other flavor elements.
– Use a mix of celery and other crunchy veggies like fennel, radish, jicama, or apple.
– Make a dressing with Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangy twist.
– Mix in avocado for creaminess or crisp bacon for smokiness.
– Try unique add-ins like dried fruit, mango, water chestnuts, or Parmesan.
– Serve on croissants, brioche buns, waffles, or pancakes – not just bread.
With small tweaks using seasonal, high-quality ingredients, Ramsay takes his basic chicken salad to new heights in texture, taste, and presentation. This transforms a ubiquitous dish into a 5-star restaurant-worthy delight.
What is Gordon Ramsay’s homemade mayonnaise recipe?
One of the keys to Chef Ramsay’s chicken salad is using a homemade mayonnaise dressing rather than store-bought. Here is his easy recipe for making velvety smooth mayo from scratch:
Ingredients:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, mustard, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Very slowly, drizzle in the vegetable oil while continuously whisking. Add just a few drops at a time to start.
- As the mayo starts to thicken, you can increase to pouring in a slow, steady thin stream while rapidly whisking.
- After all the vegetable oil is incorporated, switch to extra virgin olive oil. Drizzle and whisk that in too.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Add more lemon for brightness.
- Refrigerate mayo in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Making your own mayo allows you to use the freshest, highest quality ingredients. The flavor and silkiness blow away store-bought. Use this mayo to bind together and moisten Ramsay’s famous chicken salad.
What are some serving suggestions for Gordon Ramsay’s chicken salad?
This versatile chicken salad is delicious served in a variety of ways:
- Stuffed in a sandwich or wrap – Classic chicken salad sandwich with lettuce on sliced bread or a tortilla wrap.
- Over greens – Serve scoops of chicken salad over a bed of lettuce, arugula, spinach, or kale.
- In endive boats – Spoon chicken salad into leaves of endive or lettuce cups.
- With crackers – Scoop onto crackers like whole grain wheat crackers or pita chips.
- In pasta – Toss with hot cooked pasta or pasta salad.
- With fruit – Serve on top of slices of fruit like apples, pears, or melons.
- On waffles or pancakes – Top breakfast waffles, pancakes or crepes.
- In stuffed tomatoes – Fill halved cherry tomatoes for appetizers.
- On flatbread – Spread on naan, pita, or crackers for mini open-faced sandwiches.
Get creative with serving methods to enjoy Gordon Ramsay’s chicken salad for any meal, appetizer, snack, or sweet/savory treat. The options are endless!
Conclusion
Gordon Ramsay’s legendary chicken salad comes together with humble ingredients but is packed with bold, vibrant flavors. The secret is in the quality of ingredients, proper seasoning, fresh herbs, homemade mayonnaise, and texture contrasts. Cool, shredded poached chicken is coated in creamy mayo and tossed with crunchy celery, sweet grapes, crisp pecans, and bright parsley. With Chef Ramsay’s tips for elevating standard chicken salad, this easy recipe goes from basic to beautiful and tastes restaurant-worthy. Chicken salad never tasted so good!