How Do the World’s Best Chefs Celebrate the Holidays?

Our culinary council comprises–quite simply–some of the best chefs in the world. They advise on product development, wear our awesome aprons and swear by our cookware. But because we–like you–sure would like to know which products they really love, here are a few HexClad products they particularly adore, and the holiday traditions they can’t live without. 

Gordon Ramsay 

Gordon Ramsay, the celebrated chef and our partner, is heavily involved in developing, testing and using our cookware–which he now uses exclusively at home and in his restaurants. You’ve probably seen him all over social media lauding our cookware, our aprons–the only one he’ll wear!–and our knives. We didn’t want to make him choose among his favorites.

Gordon’s Christmas and Boxing Day traditions have likewise gotten a lot of press–whether he’s hosting a perfectly shellacked turkey from oven to table, glazing a ham or making bubble and squeak for Boxing Day morning. We’re pretty thrilled, though, to have his very own stuffed rib of beef recipe for HexClad.com this year. (Have you seen our holiday recipes? Prepare to drool.) We tested it–as we do all our recipes–and it is, quite simply, divine. 

Nancy Silverton

Nancy Silverton, owner of Michelin-starred Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza and chi SPACCA in Los Angeles, is known to be a super-fan of our pizza steel, but this year she’s giving the two-handled 14-inch hybrid pan, “not just in a box but with an apple crisp cooked in it. It makes the perfect hostess gift. Bring an apple crisp, leave the pan! It comes with a lid so it travels well.”

We are so stealing that, Chef! She adds, “Around the holidays I give up on pies, and my go-to is a great crisp. Why roll out all that dough, crimp it, bake it, bake it again…? Crisps in the hybrid pan go straight from your oven to the table and look beautiful." Chef Silverton also can’t get enough of our market bag–“a near-perfect gift.”

“They are the best bags at the farmers market, grocery store, for weekend trips or airplane travel. It just fits into my life and activities seamlessly and makes everything I already do so much easier."

During the holiday season, Chef Silverton doesn’t experiment, and advises you to do the same. "Make food you are comfortable making and use equipment you know you can rely on. Cook for success!"

During the winter holidays, “No tradition in my family has lasted longer, or kept up with such regularity, than making my mom's brisket. It was her show-off dish. I think of her walking to the table holding it in her oven mitted hands with a huge smile on her face because she knew it was a crowd pleaser.” Today, the chef makes her brisket in our 6.5-quart oval Dutch oven–“a perfect fit for a party-sized brisket."

Dominique Crenn

San Francisco Chef Crenn–of Atelier Crenn, the renowned three Michelin-starred restaurant–is a huge fan of our 12” fry pans. “I do a lot of cooking for my friends and family. This pan is so versatile and allows me to cook my protein and veggies pretty much at the same time. It allows for great flavor enhancement. For me, it is like a one-pot cooking style.” 

Come the holidays, though, she splashes out on sets: “I love to gift the whole package–from pans to pots and everything else that can set up your kitchen for success. It's a gift that will last a lifetime and will bring memories for generations to come.”

“The winter holidays are the best holidays,” says the French-born chef, who recalls “the smell of dishes that have been cooking for hours and ultimately bring a sense of warmth and love. The famous coq au vin of my grandmother or the bœuf bourguignon of my mother and their famous gratin dauphinois…let's get cooking!”

Clare Smyth

Clare Smyth–chef of the three Michelin starred London restaurant Core by Clare Smyth–is known for her precise, high-end cuisine and attention to local ingredients. So we sort of love that her favorite HexClad product is our chicken fryer. 

“This pan is simply amazing,” says Clare. “It's incredibly versatile; truly a one-pot-wonder that does it all. Not only does it perform beautifully in the kitchen, but it also makes a thoughtful, lasting gift. With its elegant design, it looks fantastic in any home, and you just know that anyone who receives it will love, cherish, and use it for years to come.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Chef! When it comes to taking it easy over the holidays, Clare is a Boxing Day believer–as are many Brits. She makes fresh crumpets topped with smoked salmon, adds a touch of caviar for a luxurious twist, and enjoys them with poached eggs and a glass of Buck’s Fizz. (Stateside readers, that’s “British” for “mimosa.”) 

The chef is also a big fan of “really good stuffing: packed with sage, pear, leeks and onions, it’s an absolute essential. And for a little extra indulgence, nothing beats a toasted sandwich (or a jaffle) filled with roasted turkey, pigs in blankets, and all the holiday trimmings.” 

Photo Courtesy of Core 

Paul Ainsworth 

Down the way in North Cornwall, chef Paul Ainsworth of Paul Ainsworth at No 6 is a big fan of our hybrid pan sets, but is particularly partial to our 8” pan. “For me, it’s an all-round winner,” he says. “It’s the perfect size to use both at home and in the restaurants for sautéing, searing meat and fish and caramelizing.” 

Like Chef Smyth, he also adores the deep sauté pan and chicken fryer. “Use it to cook large batches of sauces and soups, for deep-frying fish and chips, or for slow-roasting large joints of meat. It’s such a useful, versatile pan!”  He’s also a big fan of our HexMills. “I also love the way you can alter the grade of the grind from course to fine in such a precise way–something that home cooks and professional chefs have been waiting for, and Hexclad has delivered.” 

His perspective on gifting? “My philosophy is to ‘buy smart and buy once,’ and these pans are worth the investment and will last a lifetime.”

Chef Ainsworth celebrates Boxing Day by cooking a whole spiced ham on a trivet of pineapple, served with battered onion rings, triple cooked chips, and duck eggs fried in sage. It’s “the perfect dish to enjoy with the leftover cold cuts of turkey and a side of chutneys and pickles–a double dose of Christmas goodness!” (Is anyone else starving now?)

However you celebrate, happy holidays!