Gordon Ramsay's Foolproof Method For Dicing Chili Peppers
Gordon Ramsay is known for his fiery personality, but he's got the skills to back it up. Along with numerous successful television shows, several best-selling cookbooks, and multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, he's also got a booming YouTube presence (via Britannica). His YouTube channel has a whopping 19.5 million subscribers and a ton of content, from short videos with tips and tricks to multiple series like "Scrambled: On the Road." Inspired by Gordon Ramsay's famous creamy scrambled eggs, the chef basically travels all around the world making regional dishes that highlight eggs.
In a video called "Three Delicious Back to School Recipes," Ramsay drops a gem while making sweet corn fritters, per YouTube. The best cooking tips from Gordon Ramsay are usually about simple ingredient upgrades and knife skills, and this hack is no different. The best thing about this pepper chopping method is that it could easily be used on other cylindrical vegetables. Ramsay himself applies the same concept to a leek earlier in the video when he makes a creamy mushroom and leek pasta.
This method for slicing chili peppers creates a perfect dice
In the YouTube video, Gordon Ramsay starts by rolling the chili on the cutting board to loosen the seeds he plans to remove. Next, he gives the chili a good shake to further detach the seeds. He cuts off the stem and taps out the seeds. Holding the chili at the uncut end, Ramsay makes vertical cuts, first in half, then in quarters, then eighths, all while holding onto the very tip of the chili. The resulting eight thin legs are held together by the uncut point of the pepper. This allows Ramsay to quickly run his knife across horizontally, creating a perfect dice.
The pretty little pieces are added to a simple batter along with green onion, cilantro, and sweet corn to make a pan-fried fritter. He also uses some chilies to make a dip for the fritters with yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro.
This easy method will allow you to add finely diced chili to any dish in no time at all. Unlike Gordon Ramsay, however, consider using gloves to prevent the oil from those chilies from spreading across your hands and any surface you touch (via Pepper Geek). Chef Ramsay might be immune to jalapeño hands, but you probably shouldn't risk it.