Gordon Ramsay

What do I use a microwave for? That's a bloody good question! There's an amazing way of drying herbs in a microwave. You get a plate, plastic wrap, and then rub a whole basil leaf in just a touch of olive oil and then lay it on the tin foil. Press for 45 seconds in the microwave. They come out crispy! It's almost like shallots fried but they get such a quick temperature, it dies and crisps out the basil leaves within seconds. So I do use a microwave, only to sort of lightly fry basil, tarragon leaves without deep fat frying. It's incredible.

Well, first of all, you need help.

Spaghetti in a can!!?! That kind of shit we grew out of on our 8th birthday. I still remind my mum that she taught me how to spell with alphabetical spaghetti in a can.

You need help, big time.

My go-to sort of fast food snack... it would have to be In-N-Out Burger.

Oh my god, honestly, it is, when I eat Double-Doubles. I am terrible. And I always bring it back on the airport when I'm flying from LA to London, I'll sneak it into the first class lounge at BA!

First of all, we can't launch live fucking ducks from a helicopter! And rubber ducks was a bit of a piss take because every adult has grown up with rubber ducks in the bath. So the idea behind rubber ducks was making sure that they hit the reservoir, and then with the wind speed traveled across the lake in order to make it a little more difficult for the contestants. So, yeah sometimes when you're in that built-up environment and you're in amongst sort of that tough, demanding pressure of Hell's Kitchen, getting out up into the mountains and taking the contestants out in the lake for the day, it does wonders for their mind.

But we can't use fucking live ducks and let them loose from a helicopter! So they had to be rubber.

So the easiest dish to turn into something awful would be, for me, cooking a great steak. Serving a New York strip, for instance, for me the most important thing is taking it out of the fridge 15 minutes before you actually use it, so it gets to room temperature. Season it properly, and then cook it once it's up to room temperature.

And then the biggest mistake that people make once they've cooked a steak, instantly, is they cut into the middle of it. You've got to let the steak rest for as long as you cook it. That way, it's plump, it's juicier, and don't worry about the temperature being piping hot, but just the value and the difference in flavor once you've let a New York strip rest for 6 or 7 minutes. The difference is night and day. So, great sear, but let it rest.

Food that really pleasantly surprised me more than anything, you know, I'm all about dressings and vinaigrettes, especially this time of year. So, making a great salad is making sure that you dry those leaves, because if the salad is damp, you'll never taste that vinaigrette. So there's so many certain ways, with fresh honey, basil, lots of herbs and vinaigrettes that can make it so much more interesting. So I'm all about that kind of lightness, especially over these next couple of months.