If you watch any of his many shows, you might think chef Gordon Ramsay likes to make people cry. But in order to help normal people improve their skills in the kitchen, he recently released a video showcasing how to master five fundamental kitchen skills — including chopping an onion without tearing up as badly.
His onion-dicing trick involves cutting the bulb in half, then doing a lot of slices without cutting into the root. That’s where a lot of the watery-eye-inducing gases are concentrated. By avoiding slicing into it, you can keep a few tears at bay, but it won’t entirely eliminate the irritant. (If you’re super irritated by onions, you could always invest in some swimming goggles to keep the gasses from getting into your eyeballs.)
Ramsay also has tips for a few other staples, like perfectly cooked rice. Instead of just tossing it in the pot, he recommends infusing it with cardamom pods and star anise to give plain white rice a bit of flavor. Using a filet knife and fish tweezers (though he says you can use regular — presumably new — ones), Ramsay also demonstrates skinning and deboning salmon. Before you do that, though, you should probably watch his knife-sharpening tutorial.
Finally, Ramsay has a few hints on cooking the perfect pasta, al dente, naturally. It’s all pretty much common sense for this section, like seasoning the water, adding oil, and the importance of a rolling boil. Still, if you’re a disaster in the kitchen, the video offers a few common-sense lessons in under eight minutes. It’s faster than a cooking class, and Ramsay doesn’t even yell once.
