Hells Kitchen - Chop up a Chicken

On Tuesdays Hells Kitchen no one messed up the risotto much to my disappointment. In fact, it looked like they actually served some risottos to Gordon's standard. Boo.

The task tonight was to cut up a chicken in eight pieces and do it properly. Ramsay demonstrated. I really hate the camera work in these segments because there is always something blocking the shot and you can't clearly see how he's doing it. I'm sure I'm not alone wishing that you could see that properly, I'd love to see him really demonstrate that.

Needless to say the dinner service was horrible, although less horrible than the last two weeks, and some people actually got their appetisers.

Then everyone started to burn meat, under cook salmon and set the range on fire and Gordon banged his head repeatedly on the counter top and then complained of a headache and then Shut. It. Down.

Can't wait for next week.

Just in time for Hell's Kitchen tonight...

I made a mushroom and pea risotto for dinner. First time I've ever made one. Gordon Ramsay, please come to my house for dinner and I'll make you a risotto that hopefully, you won't throw against the wall. Everyone ate it up no problem except my 7 yr old, but he did eat some of it, just picked out the mushrooms, onion and peas. Sigh.

The basic recipe for the risotto is is from April's Everyday Food. It's a bit time consuming and you have to prep everything before you start, but the dish turned out really well and was easy. If it's so easy, what's the problem? Every person Gordon Ramsay has ever met in either Kitchen Nightmares in England or the US or Hell's Kitchen has been unable to produce a risotto that has passed Gordon's taste test. Maybe mine wouldn't either!!

Here's the recipe:

2 cans (14.5oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan.
1lb mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1 cup frozen peas

In a small saucepan, combine broth with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and keep at a bare simmer.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 - 2 minutes.

Add 2 cups of broth. Simmer over medium-low stirring occasionally,until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed,** about 25 minutes total. The rice should be tender (but not mushy) and suspended in liquid with the consistency of heavy cream. (I didn't need all the broth - I added the first 2 cups and then 1 cup more and that was fine)

**Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms in some butter and then add them to the risotto after you have added the last cup of broth. Add the frozen peas at this time also. After stirring for about 1 minute, the risotto should be almost ready.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in Parmesan and butter, serve.

I thought it turned out well. Not mushy and not undercooked. I did not move away from the saucepan at any time during the process though. So don't wander off and start watching the Gilmore Girls or anything like that!!

Hells Kitchen - Fillet of Halibut

Last night on Hells Kitchen it was more of the same. Blank stares and yelling. Gordon was livid that there had been so much waste in the service the night before, so he had the trash truck back up and dump the bags in the driveway and all the contestants had to go through and sort out the garbage. Totally stupid. They made so much mess in the driveway it was more repulsive than the waste. So point made, they all went back to the kitchen and the Gordon proceded to fillet a hallibut with a VERY SHARP knife. He made it look so easy, but it couldn't have been that hard because the dumbo contestants manaaged to make 41 acceptable fillets each from their halibuts. Then I guess they attempted to serve it for dinner after each team has mauled it. Yuk.

Meanwhile the men won the "challenge" of cutting up fish and got to go on a yacht with Gordon who was nice to them for 2 hours before going back to yelling at them during the dinner service.

Dinner was basically more of the same except a few more people got their dinner. It all ended in tears with Gordon screaming "shut it down". This after screaming "where's the beef" 40 times in a row. Maybe if Gordon gave them a few cooking lessons in the morning, they might be able to produce a dinner in the evening?

Sharon was utimately sent home because she spent more time worrying about her make up than her cooking. She is a "room service chef" which translated means she works in a hotel kitchen. I think.

So Gordon in scary mode has even managed to scare me, because I am determined to make a good rissoto. I've found a nice recipe in Everyday Food,so I'm going to try it out this week. You know, just in case Gordon drops by and screams at me to produce the perfect risotto!!

Hells Kitchen?

I think I'm going to apply to Hell's Kitchen for next season, as apparently the only qualification you need is to be able to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for your kids. The first guy kicked out by Ramsey was a stay at home Dad, who had apparently never cooked a scallop before. How hard can it be? I'm sure not as easy as cooking them for the family, because Gordon does have high expectations, and it is a "restaurant", but really, to throw out 30 scallops? I'm sure I would have caught on after I'd had to throw out the first two batches. Anyway, Gordon was in fine form, popping his pooffle valve every thirty seconds over some heinous insult to the world of food, mainly sucky rissotto.

I don't feel sorry for the contestants at all. They know what they are getting into when they sign up for Hell's Kitchen. And they also must know that Gordon Ramsey is totally overacting. I have a small crush on Gordon, especially after watching his Kitchen Nightmares on BBCAmerica. He's really quite caring and not the incessant screamer that he plays on Hells Kitchen. You also have to bear in mind that this show is on FOX, masters of tricky editing, producers interference and cheesy "reality TV". The only reason I tuned in this week was because there is nothing else on at the moment, and I like Gordon.

As far as the food goes on this show it's is secondary to showcasing massive incompetence, so it's not really about food at all, unlike Top Chef, which I consider one of the best reality shows on TV.

I haven't caught up with this weeks episode of Top Chef, but I did watch last weeks, when they had to cook for the block party. Miraculously no one has broken out the truffle oil yet. Maybe Chef Colichhio banned it this season? I thought that whole challenge was a bit underwhelming and I didn't like the Quick Fire - which was to make a fine dining taco. Usually all the food they come up with all sounds great, and I always feel bad for the people that get kicked off. They do put their hearts into it.

When they post the next "At Home Challenge" I'm going to give it a try.