Gordon Ramsay Shared a Chicken Recipe That Has Fans Fighting in the Comments
Even the most famous celebrity chefs aren’t immune to criticism. Gordon Ramsay, known for openly sharing his opinions on others’ cooking when it doesn’t meet his high standards, recently found himself on the receiving end of some harsh feedback from the internet.
Ramsay recently shared a tutorial on Instagram showing off how to poach a whole chicken, but it didn’t take long for the internet to point out what they saw as a flaw. The cooking liquid — which consists only of water, a few aromatics, and salt — left many social media users skeptical about how flavorful the dish could really be and sparked criticism from his followers.
“A delicious poached chicken with crispy skin & rice for your weekend recipe,” Ramsay captioned his Instagram post showcasing the dish. However, many people online weren’t convinced and quickly disagreed with the recipe.
People quickly took to the comment section to share their opinions. One person wrote, “I love you, Gordon, but that’s just boiled chicken.” While another commented, “That is so bland. Like, no flavor.”
The full recipe is available online and involves poaching a whole chicken in water with garlic, ginger, scallions, and your preferred amount of salt. Once the chicken is cooked, you fry the skin until it’s crispy and cook white rice in the leftover chicken stock. To finish, you drizzle a homemade sauce over the chicken and rice made from grated ginger, scallions, oil, salt, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder.
This recipe takes inspiration from Hainanese chicken, which prioritizes a method of allowing the fresh aromatics to speak for themselves in the dish. The garlic adds umami notes, the scallion delivers grassy and sweet undertones, and the ginger provides spicy and warm flavors.
Some people were familiar with Hainanese chicken and quickly raced to the comment section to defend this recipe. One person said, “People clearly underestimate this dish,” while another said, “This made me miss Hainanese chicken.”
Of course, you don’t have to follow the recipe exactly. If you want a stronger flavor, feel free to add turmeric or your favorite seasonings to the poaching water. You can even toss in some chili peppers for a little heat. This method is super customizable and just one of many ways you can prepare a whole chicken.
