Gordon Ramsay has plied his trade on speaking bluntly as much as he has by being one of the world’s greatest chefs.
With a culinary heritage that includes his former mentor Marco Pierre White, and White’s own mentor Raymond Blanc, Ramsay’s no slouch himself. The foul-mouthed TV chef has won 17 Michelin stars over the course of his career and currently holds eight.
You probably won’t be surprised that the maudlin conversation around last meals has been had with the man, nor will his ideal final supper surprise you much either. The cook won’t surprise you, anyway.
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When posed the question, many will opt for a childhood favourite – that one pub that made that one pie in 2001, that pasta sauce that your mum made like no one else, or maybe a singular turkey twizzler would be sufficient. Gone but not forgotten.
Others might go for the most luxurious option they can imagine.
A man on death row for murder in Mississippi chose a proper gut-buster, with his final meal amounting to 29,000 calories before his execution in 2012.
The murder victim was Jeffrey Wolfe, whom Gary Carl Simmons Jr had been convicted of murdering and feeding to alligators in 1996.
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Simmons' last meal covered several dishes, including: a Pizza Hut medium Super Supreme Deep Dish pizza double portion, with mushrooms, onions, jalapeño peppers and pepperoni; another pizza with three cheeses, olives, bell pepper, tomato, garlic and Italian sausage; ten 8oz packs of parmesan; ten 8oz packs of ranch dressing; a family-size pack of nacho cheese flavour Doritos; eight ounces jalapeño nacho cheese; four ounces of sliced jalapeños; and one super-size order of McDonald's fries with extra ketchup and mayonnaise.
He washed this down with two large strawberry shakes and two 20oz cherry Cokes. He also managed to squeeze two pints of strawberry ice cream in for dessert.
If he hadn’t already been due for execution, that meal may well have done the job on behalf of the state.
Considering Ramsay’s refined palate, you won’t be surprised to see that the TV chef has taken zero inspiration from Mr Simmons.
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He went for a simple British staple, as it turns out, albeit one from his own kitchen.
The meal in question is his own Full English Breakfast, originally found on the Savoy Grill’s menu at £19 a pop. It drew some criticism early on for its price and portion sizes, with some comparing it to more generous and cheaper portions found at the average greasy spoon.
Ramsay was having none of it: "I stand by it. I swear by it. And it is one meal that I would ever eat as a last supper, it has to be a full English breakfast with extra baked beans."
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This particular edition of the Full English comes with two fried eggs, crispy and streaky bacon, a mushroom, a lone sausage, and half a tomato. The beans are served in a separate gravy boat, for some added refinement.
Not a bad way to bow out.
Topics: UK Food
Rachael Davis