5 Things We Learned From Gordon Ramsay & Courtney McBroom's "Idiot Sandwich"

Welcome back to Cookbook Club! Every month or so we feature a new-to-us book we love. (Are you following us on Insta? Find links to new book picks there.) Recently we've examined some tasty plant-based cuisine and gone deep on barbecue. This time, we're digging into Chef Gordon Ramsay’s new cookbook!

It’s fair to say we’re in a golden age of sandwiches. From the bánh mì of Vietnam to the pav bhaji of Mumbai, there’s a sandwich with your name on it–whether you like your filling sweet or savory, veggie or porcine, salty or pickled. 

Gordon Ramsay, sandwich aficionado nonpareil, knows this. He writes in his new cookbook, Idiot Sandwich, inspired by the YouTube show of the same name, “As a chef, I know there’s nothing–and I mean nothing–that tastes better than a sandwich you make yourself after service.” 

Sure, the superstar chef admits, he has “the opportunity to experiment with the most incredible meats, fresh veg, salads, fruits, preparation techniques, breads, and condiments you can only dream about.” (Think: a beef Wellington sandwich with truffle mayo.) 

But the rest of us have options to improve our lives on the patty front, too, whether by making a potato-studded Mumbai masala sandwich (which makes a cameo in these pages) or by squashing a full English breakfast–minus the black pudding–on to an English muffin. 

From recipes to condiments, sauces to dips, sweet sandwiches and beyond, there are a lot–100-plus!–of fab sammies tucked into this book. Here are five things we learned from Ramsay and writer Courtney McBroom: 

1. You Need a Serrated Knife

Please stop squashing your sandwiches. You need a serrated knife–ideally a short one, as we sell in our starter kit, natch–and must stop using a chef’s knife or (gasp!) a toothless butter knife. It is, McBroom writes, “a must-­have… It is always the best tool for slicing a loaf, so get one and love it.” 

2. Use a Fish Spatula

Tired of losing the best bits of lacy grilled cheese to the skillet? You need a fish spatula for flipping.  “A regular spatula works, but a fish spatula is tops for when you need an ultra-thin, flexible flipping apparatus.” We couldn’t agree more, and have just the thing. 

3. Step Away From the Toaster

Speaking of grilled cheese, those who know use mayo and a hot skillet, not a toaster, to get their crisp on. “Mayo lends a more neutral flavor, and it browns more evenly. Butter is richer and creamier. You could also toast it in a flavored oil, compound butter, or cheese.” (Check out the book’s Sky High Reuben recipe for more on that!) 

4. “Can I Sandwich This?”

Things can be sandwiched that you wouldn’t believe, like shakshuka, the poached egg and tomato sauce dish. The book includes a braised lamb and feta sandwich that looks like a dream. A tonkatsu Cubano. The sky–or at least two slabs of bread-like items–is the limit. 

5. The World Is Your... Sandwich

It’s the rare cookbook that starts with a Dostoevsky quote. “In order to reach perfection, one must begin by being ignorant of a great deal,” he wrote in The Idiot. It’s fair to say that reaching for the stars is encouraged. 

“It takes an idiot (and I mean it as a term of endearment) to imagine and create the most exciting and inspiring sandwiches on the planet,” writes Chef Ramsay in his Foreword. “To me, the secret of what makes a great sandwich is wanting to eat it all over again the minute you’ve finished,” as Gordon says. 

Gordon’s very own recipe for a spicy Korean chicken sando is right here. Get the cookbook, and get inspired.