He can take the heat, but gets out of the kitchen anyway
NEW YORK — For his latest TV show, “Uncharted,” famed chef Gordon Ramsay visits global destinations to explore flavors far from routine. He eats guinea pig in Peru, fishes for eel with his bare hands to make a Maori dishinnewzealandand forages for hearts of palm in Morocco.
“It’s a million miles away from my high-end, three-star Michelin kitchen,” he says of the show airing on the National Geographic Channel.
“It’s straight to the source.”
After spending a week learning about the ingredients, Ramsay ends each hour-long show with a cooking competition, pitting himself against a local chef. Think of it like Anthony Bourdain crossed with Bear Grylls and then add some “Top Chef.”
Ramsay, also a host on Fox’s “Masterchef,” recently talked about being a fish out of water for once and about having fun.
Associated Press: For the newshow,you’reclimbing trees and rappelling down cliffs.areyouhavingfun?
Gordon Ramsay: I’m definitely having fun. It’s an extraordinary journey of discovery and peeling back those layers with cultures that in this ever-moving
foodie world. … So it’s traveling to great lengths to dig deep.
You aren’t often out of your element, are you?
I find joy in being vulnerable, in a way. It’s about gaining knowledge and that’s never left me in two and a half decades.
What’s it like to get up close and personal with the ingredients?
For the past two decades, I’ve spent thousands of hours in kitchens with produce arriving at my fingertips. So, to do the opposite and get straight to the source, it’s actually been, to be honest, more of a therapeutic journey.
Some critics accuse “Uncharted” of aping Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown.”
I’m not stepping in anyone’s shoes. I’ve been doing travelogues since 2004, studying Vietnam, Cambodia and India.
Do you feel a responsibility to be environmentally conscious?
I’m a big fan of no waste, and a clever utilization of the cheap cuts, off-cuts and unwanted vegetables is super-important. That’s what makes or breaks businesses. It’s not about being flash and getting top marks in every food guide on the planet.
It’s about your integrity as a chef on sustainability.