Gordon Ramsay's Favorite Childhood Lunch Was Classic British Grub

Gordon Ramsay is a renowned celebrity chef with several restaurants and excellent cooking tips to offer, but his food palate had humble beginnings. Akin to many people in England, where Ramsay was raised after relocating from Scotland, he enjoyed the humble fish fingers with a classic chip butty sandwich. 

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the filling dish, but similar recipes can be traced to the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the chip butty formula is often credited to working-class communities who likely struggled with literacy and did not document its invention. That said, Liverpool and Yorkshire claim stakes in the invention of the sandwich, with the latter noting that the word "butty" comes from their slang for bread and butter. Regardless, the simple and cheap sandwich has risen in popularity over the decades and is a common choice for school lunches or at the end of a boozy night out. 

In a recipe video, Ramsay talks about his affinity for the meal, saying, "Most of my lunch when I was growing up was very plain, pretty trashy, but I still love it now and again — fish fingers with a chip butty." The meal is an easy-to-make alternative to British fish and chips as the core ingredients are battered fish and fries. Although, there is additional assembly required to make the sandwich and a few pro tips on how to get it perfect, such as using soft but thick white bread and heaps of butter.

Gordon Ramsay's recipefor fish fingers with a chip butty sandwich is an upgrade on one you would in a school cafeteria. To start, the chef peels the potatoes and soaks them in cold water to remove the excess starch. He then seasons them and cooks them in the oven on an oiled tray. Next, he prepares the fish sticks using fresh pollock which he cuts into "finger sizes." He lightly salts the fish and rolls the slices in his hands to get a uniform shape. The fish is dipped in an egg wash and a coating made of fresh dill and breadcrumbs. Using an oiled pan, the fish is fried on both sides until they are golden and crispy. Ramsay adds a chunk of butter towards the end. To assemble the chip butty, the chef takes a large slice of thick buttered bread and slices it in half. He loads the French fries onto one half of the bread and covers it with the other half, creating a sandwich that is served alongside the fish fingers and a hearty serving of ketchup.

When making the butty, the chips should not have any skins on and should be thick cut. The chips should also only be lightly fried. Additionally, one should not put the fish and chips in the sandwich together as it becomes difficult to eat. Instead, the chip butty and the fish sticks should be enjoyed separately.