How to Impress Even the Most Discerning Critic with Your Culinary Skills: Follow Gordon Ramsay's Recipe

How to Impress Even the Most Discerning Critic with Your Culinary Skills: Follow Gordon Ramsay’s Recipe

Feel the Fear and Cook it Anyway : Chocolate Fondants from Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy

You may well wonder why a keen amateur cook would be intimidated by the prospect of making chocolate fondants. All I can say is there is something about the oozy, melting deliciousness of this dessert that led me to believe that for such perfection to achieved, complex technique would surely be involved. Happily, I was mistaken. Simple kitchen alchemy transforms an easy to mix batter into an unctuous, melt in the middle specimen of chocolate perfection. The first batch I made was delivered to my entire family after a late summer barbecue accompanied by an Irish coffee and the sunset infused view below (alas, taken when the sun went down at about 10pm, as opposed to the current 4:30). A very holy trinity. So foolproof is the recipe I have been following that I have been known to make these up to three nights a week.

The recipe in question is from Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy, published by the wonderful Quadrille, with whom I currently have the pleasure of undertaking 2 weeks work experience in the publicity department. Ramsay’s book really does do exactly what it says on the tin, simple, easy to follow recipes that produce impressive results, great for showing off your kitchen prowess to family and friends. It has become one of my kitchen bibles, and a non exhaustive list of some of my other favourite recipes includes: spiced breakfast bread (reminiscent of pain d’epice, one of the things I love most about Parisian breakfasts), fennel soup with merguez, creamy spinach tart, broccoli soup (with the genius addition of moist goats cheese and flaked almonds) and pecan pie with a cinnamon crust (which I plan on baking for our upcoming Thanksgiving celebration).

Chocolate Fondants for Two from Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy

(Whip these up for your significant other to end a romantic meal in and I guarantee you, they will fall in love with you all over again, just like P did with me! And you certainly needn’t tell them how easy they are to make, mystique is the operative word when trying to impress with your culinary skills.)

Ingredients

50 grams of unsalted butter, plus extra to grease

2 tsp cocoa powder, to dust

50g good quality bitter chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), in pieces

1 free range egg and 1 free range egg yolk

60g caster sugar

50g plain flour

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3.

Butter four ramekins (about 7.5cm in diameter), then dust liberally with cocoa, shaking out any excess.

Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over a pan of hot water, then take off the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar together until pale and thick, then incorporate the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour. Divide the chocolate mixture between the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes.

Turn the chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you need any further encouragement to try the fondants, just refer to the following words from Gordon himself: “Whenever I am asked for my favourite recipe, this is the one.”

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