Unlike most people I’d imagine, my introduction to Gordon Ramsay was MasterChef Junior. I’ve seen my fair share of memes on the world wide web showing Ramsay with kids versus him with adults, and quite frankly, I was more interested in seeing him berate people. So we started watching Hell’s Kitchen. Soon my personal internet overlords got into gear and fed me all kinds of Gordon Ramsay ads and videos, including him cooking eggs baked in hash browns. Time to get back in the kitchen.
You’ll notice the “Grade A Large” eggs here. Very important for one’s self-esteem. The last time I peeled a potato was probably in middle school when my mom was making mashed potatoes. Pro tip: make sure you are fully prepped before you start cooking, including having all ingredients and tools. On an unrelated note, I didn’t have a peeler*. Fortunately, large child had one in his kitchen supplies. I peeled the shit out of those potatoes, no big deal.
On to the grating. I’ve never really been great with peeling onions, and Ramsay just kind of glossed over it here. I may be a professional, but I’m watching the video for a reason Gordon. Help a brother out. I’m nothing if not persistent, so I figured it out like an adult. Turns out I’m really good at grating things too. Not sure why, but it reminds me of how I am undefeated in Shake it Up from Mario Party.
Also, I was reminded of this meme today while grating the onion.
I’ve cooked store bought hash browns before (like one time) and I never know how long to leave them cooking on the first side (that one time). It’s just a guessing game as far as I’m concerned, and I guessed wrong today. It actually ended up being fine, but I left it on a little too long. I started cooking the bacon during all of this because I’m laser focused and a multitasking wizard. Despite the fact I’ve never cooked bacon in any way other than just throw it in a pan, it was super easy, even for novices such as yourselves.
Next, I got to flip the hash browns onto a plate. I’ve never felt more like a chef than in that moment. Slid it back into the pan, and then cracked open some eggs. Again, Ramsay isn’t very helpful here when it comes to the cookery in the stove. I’m not really one for improvisation, so that’s when I turned back to my old friend, the internet. The recipe itself was basically just the video transcribed, so not all that helpful. I don’t really know what I expected from a site called “Gordon Rumsay,” but the comment section gave some tips at least. I threw my masterpiece in at 350° for five minutes and hoped for the best.
When the five minutes were up, the eggs weren’t done quite to my liking, so I improvised. I turned it up to 400° and put on the bacon. After several more minutes, I called it good.
I went too light on the salt, but overall, we have a winner on our hands. I forgot to add more cayenne pepper to the eggs, but that wasn’t a deal breaker for me. The bacon?
Overall a success. Would eat again.
*Editor’s wife’s note: we actually do have a peeler.
Not One to Brag 