Gordon’s Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Peppers

 

A long time ago on a blog which is now far far away, I used to write about television and films. It was really enjoyable, and watching the telly is still one of my passions, however to produce a quality weblog for UK television I feel you have to watch a lot of television, and Domesticated Mum wasn’t too keen for me to hog the TV every night.

Still I do watch a fair bit of TV, but now I mostly watch cookery programs, quality dramas, and comedies, and of course Doctor Who. Since, however, this weblog is my foodie adventures, I will spare you of my deep inner thoughts of the Doctor’s latest adventures. No, dear reader, I shall only present you my views on the latest cookery show on my radar. (Note: for newer readers, I am based in London, England so these shows may not be available yet across the pond in the Grand ol U.S of A).

Gordon Ramsay‘s Ultimate Cookery Course

Gordon Ramsay is known for a lot of things. He has many Michelin stars, a restaurant empire which stretches across the globe, and a mouth that can make even the most salty sailor blush. In fact for pure entertainment value, Gordon is one of the best value celebrity chefs on the television. Unfortunately though, if you want to learn to cook Gordon has never been the greatest source of information, unless of course you want to open an eatery and try your hand at winning one of those coveted Michelin stars yourself… That is until his latest television offering, Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course.

This program is Gordon going back to basics (almost) and giving viewers simple easy to make recipes in their own home, with ingredients you should be able to find in your local supermarket. Additionally, Chef Ramsay has also included his 100 top kitchen tips, and some viewer guides to buying food and equipment for your kitchen, and it is all presented from Gordon’s home kitchen, without a swear word to be heard.

The series so far has included some very interesting recipes, which has already led me to order the accompanying book for the series, but I can’t help but think that the series feels like something I have seen before. Maybe it is the Channel 4 production team being lazy, but the series does feel like Jamie Oliver‘s 30 Minute Meals with cool dude Oliver being replaced by Gordon. The editing is very fast, making it difficult to follow what is actually going on (probably to tempt you into buying the book), but if you pay attention and have a Tivo device which allows you to rewind when needed, you will learn some fantastic recipes, techniques and tips to develop your cooking skills.

Overall, I feel that Gordon’s Ultimate Cookery Course may not be as good as Delia Smith‘s original television cooking course, which inspired me into the kitchen, but it is worth a view… I just wish there was an unedited version, because a calm Gordon is nowhere near as much fun to watch as his sweary, screaming ulterego.

And now for a recipe from the show

Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Peppers

The first episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course showed us viewers how to make a perfect accompaniment to go with a pork chop. the pork chop itself was not made in any way different to what most people would cook it, but the peppers are fantastic, and so easy to make that I am sure they will become a regular feature on my weekly meal planner.

• Preparation time: 5 mins

• Cooking time: less than 10 minutes

• Skill level: easy

Ingredients

• Olive oil or similar for frying
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 red peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan until it is just about smoking.
2. Drop peppers into the pan, they should sizzle when they hit the pan, if not the oil isn’t hot enough yet.
3. Season with a little salt and pepper, then add the sugar. Fry for 4-5 minutes until softened and coloured.
4. Add the vinegar and let it bubble for a minute or two until the vinegar has reduced down. Turn the heat down and add the olive oil and cook for two to three minutes more.

Serve with a pork chop or anything else you fancy.