Rachael Ray Vs Gordon Ramsay: Everything You Need To Know About Their Cooking Styles
In the world of celebrity chefs, no two chefs are alike. Indeed, after guiltlessly watching countless cooking shows back-to-back for hours on end, we've come to the conclusion that each chef has their own way of dishing up the goods, yet somehow, the end product almost always ends up fantastic.
In this article, we'll compare the cooking styles of two celebrity chef giants: Gordon Ramsay and Rachael Ray. If you're at all familiar with these powerhouse professionals, you know that each has its own distinct cooking style that sets them apart from the crowd. So, what's so special about each of these chefs, and how do they compare when stacked against one another? We've examined their recipes, watched their shows, and have noticed quite a few differences between the two. Stick around as we uncover everything you need to know about the differences between Gordon Ramsay's and Rachael Ray's cooking styles.
Gordon Ramsay loves using unique, sometimes hard-to-find ingredients
If you want to get on Gordon Ramsay's level cooking-wise, be prepared to double-check your grocery list. Ramsay is known for dishing up gourmet eats on his popular reality TV shows, but even his more laid-back recipes require a bit of effort when it comes to tracking down ingredients. And though not all ingredients may be hard to find in the grocery store (though many are), some are just downright weird in the first place, especially when compared to Rachael Ray's recipes.
Take Ramsay's mac and cheese, for example. We clicked through several pages online to see whether we could find something that resembled a traditional mac and cheese recipe, but alas, we found none. Instead, we found cauliflower macaroni and cheese and truffle mac and cheese (featuring star anise as one of the ingredients ... see what we mean?). Hey, it's not like this is all bad; we're definitely up for a twist on the traditional status quo when it comes to food. But cooking recipes like mac and cheese with exotic spices, lamb with sumac, and leeks doused in miso and mirin, will all require a bit more effort when visiting your local grocer and may even taste a bit different than what you're used to.
Rachael Ray is probably using ingredients already in your pantry
Meanwhile, Rachael Ray is dishing up the goods in a not-so-unique but still totally delicious way. Expect to use ingredients you already have in your pantry for her recipes with very few surprise ingredients (for the most part). Unlike Gordon Ramsay, you'll see that Ray uses staples like salt and pepper, noodles, cheese, butter, and milk in her macaroni and cheese. And if she does happen to throw in a surprise addition or two, it'll probably be something you already have, like cayenne pepper or a bit of garlic. Choose from a myriad of recipes, including muffin tin pies with puff pastries and a variety of veggies, as well as spring vegetable sauté made with vegetables, doused in a bit of butter, oil, salt, and pepper.
Sure, it isn't the most innovative, and yes, it may come off as boring to those with "finer tastes." Even so, there's something incredibly comforting about whipping up a meal with ingredients you already have at home without the need to scour grocery store aisles or browse exotic online markets. We'll take it!
Some of Gordon Ramsay's dishes are more common in the U.K.
As you probably already know, Gordon Ramsay hails from the U.K. So, it makes sense that some of his recipes may come off as a bit eccentric to the foreign ear. Hailing from Scotland, many recipes he has taken on are more familiar in European countries, making a few of the dishes we've found gracing his website an exciting adventure in a world of deliciously different cuisine.
Find Ramsay dishing up U.K. faves, including bangers and mash and Yorkshire pudding. If you aren't up to trying anything too new, get a load of Ramsay's shepherd's pie or fish 'n chips, both of which are fairly common dishes here in the States. Ramsay even has several fish and chips restaurants across the nation, gracing lucky locations like D.C., New York, Orlando, and Las Vegas. And while some of these UK-based recipes may not be quite as familiar to our American palates, the fact that they were crafted by Ramsay has us eager to try them. It is Gordon Ramsay, after all.
Rachael Ray typically cooks traditional American fare
Unlike Gordon Ramsay, Rachael Ray was born and raised in the United States (Massachusetts, to be exact), so it should come as no surprise that her recipes are mostly American-based. You can expect to find all the typical homestyle dishes on her website and TV shows, with eats like chicken tenders, baked ziti, and P.B. & J dip gracing the list of fun and comforting recipes we're all dying to try.
We do want to note that while Ray tends to recreate her own versions of classic American favorites, she has been known to come up with some relatively non-traditional recipes, especially lately. Logging onto her website, we're met with a few eclectic recipe offerings, which even give Ramsay vibes at times, including vegetarian huevos rancheros, shakshuka, and even "Ham and Hay" frittata. Even so, Ray is generally known to deliver familiar American classics that are certainly comforting to recreate — even if she does feature a non-traditional recipe or two from time to time.
Gordon Ramsay errs on the side of complicated sophistication
We've seen Gordon Ramsay spice things up in ways that might surprise American tastes. And while his cooking style carries a certain elegant flair — something you might not say about Rachael Ray — his recipes never fail to impress. Sure, we know that Ramsay has opened some pretty lavish fine dining restaurants and holds inexperienced chefs under him to very strict guidelines when it comes to serving up food to patrons, but really, a quick look at the recipes he's got listed online is enough to know that Ramsay's dishes tend to be a bit classier and more refined than Ray's.
Of course, this isn't a bad thing, especially when this is the kind of vibe you're going for. Ramsay's sophisticated cooking style lends itself to some pretty high-end recipes that, if you were to execute, would have you looking like a "Top Chef" indeed. Stuffed lamb with spinach and pine nuts, pan-seared scallops with butternut squash purée and pomegranate-quince slaw, vanilla-infused panna cotta with pomegranate glaze ... need we say more? Yep, it sounds wonderfully decadent, but at the same time, these sound like menu items of a fine-dining menu that may be a little tricky to pull off.
Rachael Ray's recipes are (relatively) simple
So we know this one won't apply across the board since we're certain that Rachael Ray probably has a few complicated recipes out there (what celebrity chef doesn't?), but she also has a slew of simple recipes that you're likely never to find on a Gordon Ramsay show or menu. In fact, we've found at least four easy three-ingredient recipes on her website, and that's without having to do much digging. Alongside those basic ingredient recipes are others like microwavable cakes and no-bake peanut butter sandwich cookies. Not only that, but even her recipes that aren't so simplistic are typically easy to make, especially given the basic ingredients she uses, and the classic American fare that she (tends) to take on.
The same cannot be said about Ramsay since the simplest recipe featuring only a few ingredients we've found thus far is his broccoli soup, which seems to only feature broccoli, water, and cream (double cream, to be exact). And like Ray, we're sure there are other recipes that Ramsay features that would prove us wrong here, but if simplicity is what you're after, Ray has the cooking style you'll want to emulate.
Gordon Ramsay tends to sear, sauté, broil, and bake
We never noticed this before, but it doesn't seem as though Ramsay does a lot of deep frying in his kitchen. Is this a bad thing? No, not at all. When examining Gordon Ramsay's cooking style, it's abundantly clear that searing, roasting, broiling, and baking seem to be his preferred methods of cooking. Of course, he also has a handful of restaurants featuring fried fish around the States, so we aren't saying he never deep fries food. But when compared to Rachael Ray, there are noticeably fewer fried food recipes to choose from on his website, and more seared, simmered, grilled, and broiled options to enjoy.
We did a little research, and besides the fish and chips, we could only find one "fried" chicken sandwich recipe that Ramsay offers. The funny thing is that even the meat from this sandwich isn't really fried; it's actually just designed to taste like it's fried. In reality, it's just chicken with rice puffs on it that has been baked in the oven.
So, if it's deep-fried southern comfort food you're after, Ramsay isn't your guy. He does at least show us how to whip up options using a variety of cooking techniques to get wildly gratifying flavor — even if you have to work pretty hard in the kitchen (and possibly make a special trip to the grocery store for the right ingredients) to achieve it.
Rachael Ray likes to fry it up
Unlike Chef Gordon Ramsay, there's plenty to go around when it comes to fried food in Rachael Ray's kitchen. Rachael Ray has oodles of yummy, deep-fried recipes and has featured plenty of them on her own show, as well. We had no problem pulling up countless delightful dishes posted online, and plenty of the recipe titles have got us salivating over the yumminess. Take your pick from Ray's lineup, including a (real) homemade fried chicken sandwich and hot ranch slaw, fried rice balls, chicken and waffles, double-dipped buttermilk fried chicken — she's really outdone herself. Pair these recipes with any one of Ray's delectable side dishes (twice-baked overstuffed dinner potatoes and caramelized onion green beans), and you're all set.
No, it isn't fine dining, but when you're in the mood for something comfortingly delicious, Ray's got your back with her tried-and-true down-home deep-fried cooking style.
Gordon Ramsay's cooking comes off as intimidating
Let's address the pink elephant in the room. Gordon Ramsay may be an angel in real life, but on screen, he's quite the intimidating figure. His penchant for diverse ingredients, complex cooking methods, and sophisticated flavors, all make stepping into the kitchen feel a bit daunting. It doesn't help that some of his personal cooking airings feature him rapidly racing about his kitchen, barking each step of the recipe, and cooking in a fast-paced and slightly aggressive manner.
So, what does this say about Ramsay's cooking style? Let's just say he really knows what he's doing. Not to mention all the years we have watched him cussing out — or critiquing — other chefs causing us to believe Ramsay's cooking style is a little less relaxing than Rachael Ray's. Still, we respect the man for what he does; we've tried several of his recipes at home and, though not the easiest or most convenient, each one has been pretty darn delicious.
Rachael Ray is more laid back
As we've mentioned before, Rachael Ray is where it's at in terms of ease and convenience. Her recipes lend themselves to comforting smells and aromas without the stress of not having something on hand or not feeling skilled enough to take on a certain dish. Just watching Ray on her show makes it feel like you're watching family — almost as if your dear aunt or sister is chatting with you right through the screen.
Compared to Gordon Ramsay, Ray moves at a normal pace and doesn't come off as super aggressive. Instead, her down-home recipes match her down-to-earth personality, making recipes that much more inviting. This is in no way a diss to Ramsay since we know his Grinchy persona is pretty much his claim to fame. Still, the two vibes couldn't be any more different, with Ray being the laid-back chef out of the two.
Gordon Ramsay's recipes tend to be light and flavorful
If you're looking for light and flavorful bites, Gordon Ramsay has plenty of recipes to whet your appetite without feeling too rich and heavy. Though Ramsay certainly features plenty of recipes we're certain are high in calories and fat, there are also many creations he's come up with that don't seem so bad.
Remember that fried-not-fried chicken sandwich we mentioned earlier? That was baked to achieve its crispy appearance and texture. Not only this, but count on Ramsay to offer veggie-rich options, such as roasted root vegetables with crushed pepitas, miso-maple braised leeks, vegan summer BLT with basil aioli, and so much more. Also, because he tends to sear, bake, and broil his dishes, they naturally have a lighter feel. Just know that some recipes from Ramsay, like his melted brie toast with macerated berries, can also be found online, so again, we're not saying he never dishes up anything decadent. Still, the mixture of these varying dishes lends itself to a beautifully balanced yet sophisticated cooking style that's so uniquely Gordon Ramsay.
Rachael Ray's recipes tend to be rich and heavy
We know this isn't always true, but be honest. Most of us know that, generally, Rachael Ray isn't known to dish up the healthiest food fare. Isn't that why most of us love her? Not only does she feature easy and simple recipes, but they're also pretty darn delicious — complete with fat, carbs, sugar, and all.
Craving examples? We've taken the time to access her list of 17 top recipes of all time on the Rachael Ray Show website, and boy, did it feature some pretty mouthwatering, but also very heavy dishes. One-pot chicken alfredo, baked ziti, carbonara, chicken tenders — the list goes on. These comforting recipes make awesome choices for when you simply want to wind down, relax, and enjoy a rich, indulgent entrée rather than a light and lean one. And while we've already acknowledged that Gordon Ramsay has a few heavy hitters gracing his recipes as well, Ray's seem to crop up more often and are more expected coming from a chef like herself.
Sophisticated cuisine vs classic comforts
With all factors considered, Gordon Ramsay and Rachael Ray couldn't be more different in terms of the foods they plate up. Ramsay focuses on elegance and class, and isn't afraid to experiment with exotic and non-traditional ingredients to bring excitement to our taste buds in a fresh and adventurous way. Ray, on the other hand, tends to err on the side of tradition, bringing classically comforting flavors to the table that make us all feel at home.
Which is better? That's for you to decide. While Ray's cooking style may be the less intimidating of the two, Ramsay delivers a level of sophisticated flavor that we absolutely adore. With these factors in mind, we believe that one isn't necessarily better than the other, but each brings their own unique perspective to the proverbial "table" that suits our appetites in two very contrasting but no less satisfying ways. Even so, both chefs, though distinct, share their common love for food, and we're ever so grateful to have their expertise around to help us feel that much more confident in the kitchen. We love them both!