The Worst Food You Can Overcook, According To Gordon Ramsay

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has something of a reputation for being an outspoken food critic, to put things lightly. His television shows often feature a takedown — sometimes in discerning detail — of one dish or another. But it turns out that the British chef’s choice of “worst food” isn’t some complicated dish that you need to perfect down to the last pesky step — rather, it’s a mere vegetable that’s practically always on your grocery store’s shelves.

In an “ask me anything” Reddit thread, Ramsay revealed that if he had to pick a least favorite food, it would be overcooked Brussels sprouts. While he mentions that overcooked food in general is repellant to him, he singles out Brussels sprouts as the most vile offender in that camp. Brussels sprouts are naturally bitter at the best of times, so you can definitely see where the chef is coming from here. And since avoiding overcooked Brussels sprouts is as easy as tossing them in an ice bath after boiling, there’s no reason why you should have to endure Ramsay’s most despised food.

Cleaning and prepping Brussels sprouts is one thing, but actually cooking them properly to get a tasty and not overcooked dish is another entirely. Not only will overcooked Brussels sprouts be disappointing to taste, but the large supply of hydrogen sulfide gas really stinks up the place (in fact, this is the thing Gordon Ramsay hates the most out of the whole overcooked Brussels sprouts fiasco). While you can’t un-cook your dish, you can certainly doll up your sprouts so that your dish brings more to the table than a smelly, bitter disappointment.

Lots of ingredients work really well with Brussels sprouts, giving them flavors that range from sweet to spicy and beyond. Hot honey can be a phenomenal boost to your little green veggies, or alternatively, you could take a page out of Ramsay’s book and serve your Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts — either or both are excellent ways to amplify this dish. Whatever you choose, as long as you steer closer to Guy Fieri’s favorite vegetable dish and further from Ramsay’s least favorite, you should be in for a fine meal.