Celebrity Chefs and their Go-to Family meals

2021-08-04

Celebrity chefs perfecting their famous recipes is surely a common view. Though what happens in their home ground might be quite similar to yours.

A cosy setting with a comfort meal in the midst of family is what everyone needs at the end of the day.

Here we have some of the go-to meals followed by world-renowned chefs- straight from the kitchen of the raging perfectionist Gordon Ramsay, the skilful and ageless Nigella Lawson, and the Brit-heartthrob Jamie Oliver.

The comfort food topping the list this season has got to be the secret mash. While this recipe has always been quite easy, the one Nigella likes to follow doesn’t even involve peeling and boiling potatoes- surprisingly it doesn’t even use them.

“I use semolina as a near-instant substitute when you feel like the comfort of mash, but lack the energy to make it. It’s like cheesy buttery polenta, only made with semolina, which may sound off-putting, but it is divine!”- Nigella

Nigella’s mash substitute uses semolina as the main ingredient, which might sound off-putting to a few, but tastes just as delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 litre full fat milk
15ml tablespoon unsalted butter
Sea salt flakes (to taste)
Freshly grated nutmeg
250 grams semolina
75 grams grated parmesan
Black pepper (to taste)

METHOD

Heat the milk in a large, wide saucepan, then add the butter, a sprinkling of salt and a good grating of nutmeg.
When the milk is just coming to a boil, pour the semolina into the pan in a steady stream, whisking as you go.
Continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens, and big bubbles come to the surface with a gentle plopping sound. This should take 3-5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and beat in the grated cheese, check the seasoning, then tip the mash into a bowl, grating a little more nutmeg over it as you serve.

The owner of 35 restaurants and the second richest chef in the world, Ramsay’s verbal repertoire shifts to being just like every other dad at home- keeping his family’s heart and stomach full.

His dinner menu is quite simple and appealing to many palettes, and loved by many.

“Weekend is always a roast. Monday to Friday, a lot of spaghetti.”

For his go-to meal which is the spaghetti bolognese, we picked the recipe right from his kitchen shelf and let’s just say, it is heavenly.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp Olive Oil
6 Rashers of streaky pancetta bacon
2 large onions
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 chopped carrots
1 celery stick
1 kg lean minced beef
2 large glasses of red wine
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
2 fresh or dried bay leaves salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dried tagliatelle

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the bacon until golden over medium heat.
Add the onions, carrots, and garlic, frying until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned.
Pour in the wine and boil until it has reduced in volume by about a third. Reduce the temperature and stir in the tomatoes and celery.
Cover with a lid and simmer over a gentle heat for 1-1½ hours until it’s rich and thickened, stirring occasionally.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain and serve.
Sprinkle a little Parmesan over the pasta before adding a good baleful of the sauce. Finish the topping with a further scattering of cheese and some black pepper.

This fluff of a comfort food is a great recipe to wow your family members. It is a famous italian dish made of small dumplings of potato, semolina/flour- according to choice and is served with sauce on the side.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg floury potatoes
100 g flour, plus extra for dusting
1 whole nutmeg , for grating

METHOD

Use potatoes of a fairly even size. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.
Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the skins.
Mash the potatoes using a potato ricer or masher on a large clean board.
Sprinkle over the flour, finely grate over half the nutmeg, season well with sea salt and black pepper, then scrunch and push the mixture together with clean hands. Depending on the potatoes, you may need to add a little more flour.
Knead on a flour-dusted surface for a few minutes until pliable, then divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a sausage about 2cm thick.
Slice into 3 cm lengths – this is your basic gnocchi. Now you can gently roll each piece down a butter pat, the back of a fork or a fine grater to add grooves, which will help your sauce to stick, or simply roll into balls.
Cook in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes – as soon as the pieces come up to the surface they’re ready.
Remove with a slotted spoon and toss with melted butter and finely grated Parmesan, and sauce. Then finely grate over a little Parmesan, to serve.

With the cold setting in, comfort food is already seeing a rise. So is the preference for water that is safe, pure and balanced to pair it with. To know more about water that is good for you, click here.