Gordon Ramsay: Risking life and limb for globe-trotting culinary showdowns

A learning experience in Finland for host Gordon Ramsay (right). —PHOTOS COURTESY OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL

The culinary treats are as sumptuous as the visually delectable destinations featured in “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted,” which launches its 10-episode third season tomorrow on the National Geographic Channel.

The 54-year-old Scottish chef (“MasterChef,” “Hell’s Kitchen”), who’s known for his impatience, hot temper and straightforward coaching style, has been awarded 16 Michelin stars in total and currently holds seven.

This time around, he goes off the grid in each of his trips, risking life and limb to explore global cuisines and unique culinary customs. And, after having sat through half of the season’s 10 episodes, we can assure you that that’s no tall tale.

Interestingly, Gordon isn’t spewing as much profanity in his travels to Texas (for the June 1 episode, with chef Justin Yu), Portugal (June 7, with Kiko Martins), Maine (June 14, with Melissa Kelly), Croatia (June 21, with David Skoko), Puerto Rico (June 28, with Jose Enrique), Iceland (July 5, with Ragnar Eiriksson), the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina (July 12, with William Dissen), Mexico (July 19, with Gabriela Camara), Michigan (July 26, with James Rigato) and Finland (Aug. 2, with Kim Mikola).

Adventure of a lifetime

Gordon scales and rappels down cliffs and mountains, battles 10-feet waves, braves frigid temperatures, and bushwhacks his way through the backcountry to forage some of the finest spices and cooking ingredients in the world.

In one episode we’ve particularly enjoyed, it was amusing to see Gordon mustering enough courage to catch an angry and venomous rattlesnake in Texas, skin it, then cook its meat inside a cactus’ flattened stem.

Conger eel fishing in Croatia

In another, he became the laughing stock of a fishing crew when he had a hard time catching sardines after declaring, “Just how hard could sardine fishing be?”

We were as awestruck as Gordon was when he flew to the wine-making region of Colares in Portugal to collect grapes from a 200-year-old vineyard that’s embedded in the sand.

In Croatia, he was ready to “set sail or set sink” as he collected truffles with the help of precocious fungus-sniffing and treat-loving dogs, went conger-eel fishing, milked a donkey, and pruned branches of a tree for a special kind of olive oil.

‘Culinary renegade’

In Puerto Rico, Gordon jumped off a chopper to meet a “culinary renegade,” tasted chironja (a cross between a grapefruit and an orange), fished and foraged for snappers and king crabs, and scaled the mountainous municipality of Utuado to find a special brand of coffee. Imagine Gordon’s surprise when it slowly dawned on him that the “familiar” guy who’s teaching him the coffee-making ropes, from seed to cup, turned out to be—Robby Rosa of Menudo, the sensational boy band behind such hits as “If You’re Not Here (By My Side),” “Like A Cannonball” and “Explosion.” (These days, Robby, now 50 years old, goes by the name Draco Rosa.) At the end of each episode, Gordon engages in a mouth-watering culinary showdown, in which the Scottish chef sometimes ends up eating humble pie after getting his ass whooped by the local food legend!

With Kiko Martins (right) in Portugal

Sometimes, the food is to die for, literally—because a number of them require a measure of danger to get the ingredients that make them the gastronomic delights that they are.

On the menu

“The scariest challenge for me had to be getting percebes (goose barnacles) in Portugal,” said Gordon in a Q&A for this article, referring to what many people describe as “the most expensive seafood in the world. ” To give you an idea just how “coveted” percebes is, it’s worth 100 euros ($122) per kilo!

The TV star recalled, “There were no wires, no harnesses. It was just me, the ocean and some very dangerous rock formations. I tend to keep these dangerous exploits a secret from my family until after I finish the task, except for my son Jack. He’s a Royal Marine, so this old man’s gotta keep up with him somehow!”

The Season 3 “menu” includes black risotto with grilled cuttlefish, pan-seared brown butter whitefish with potato gribiche, grilled salmon with Brennivín Beurre Blanc, lobster and clam bouillabaisse, Mole Negro-braised chicken legs, maple chaga-glazed Cornish hens with red wine, raspberry-braised root vegetables, Grilled sardines stuffed with bell peppers and lemon-herb breadcrumbs, red snapper ceviche with avocado, buttered crawfish with cheddar cheese grits, ancho chile coffee-rubbed baby back ribs with tangy yogurt coleslaw and classic BBQ sauce. Yum!

Learning experience

More than expanding his culinary skills, there was something about losing that Gordon said he learned a lot from.

Asked if he’s ever unsure of any of the dishes he puts in front of the local judges, Gordon said, “I’m as confident as I can be after taking in everything I learned during the week. Sometimes, I think it’s my competition who’s unsure (laughs)!“At times, they veer off from the traditional ways to try to impress me, instead of the locals. But it is good for me to lose here and there… That makes me stronger in future cook-offs!”

More from the Q&A with Gordon:

How do you prepare for the physical requirements of ‘Uncharted’ and make sure it’s all COVID-safe?

Even when I’m on set, I’m keeping physically fit off of it. Bike rides, runs on the treadmill—it’s my escape, and I love it. So, when I hit the ground on “Uncharted,” it takes my training to the next level, with practical uses.

Preparing coffee with Draco aka Robby Rosa of Menudo

As for keeping everything COVID-safe, that comes down to our incredible crew who take it just as seriously as I do with testing, temperature checks and mask wearing. We wouldn’t have 10 incredible episodes if it wasn’t for them.

We’ve all been ‘locked down’ for over a year now. Was it a conscious decision to introduce viewers to new cultures and cuisines?

We were one of the first shows to be back on the road during the pandemic, and it allowed us to get access to some pretty incredible places and people. More than ever, the locals weren’t afraid anymore to share how incredible their culture and cuisine are. I had some big challenges at the cook-offs because the chefs had been sharpening their knives for months waiting for me to take them on!

What were your top three experiences in Season 3?

My top three: Capturing percebes in Portugal. It was one of the most dangerous things I’ve done in this show and also one of the most simple ingredients to cook with. Then, there’s herding cattle in Texas with helicopters and cowgirls. Can it get more “Uncharted” than that? And my final one would be playing Swamp Football (soccer) in Finland. I love sports, but that was tough!

How has this show changed the way you look at life, not just food, in general?

“Uncharted” makes you appreciate the small purveyors, unique local ingredients and stunning landscapes that the world has to offer. But in general, it makes you see how close the world is and how important family is in it. I mean, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see a Cornish Pasty in the upper peninsula of Michigan!

What were the most surprising ingredients you worked with?

The most surprising ingredient I discovered was the honey ants in Mexico. Most of the time, we want to kill ants, but here were these ants coming out of the ground producing the most incredible flavors I’ve ever tasted. I’d also say cloudberries in Finland. Walking around the marsh and finding these incredibly unique berries was a must in the final cookout.

What new recipes can we expect to pop up in your restaurants inspired by the tastes you’ve found this season?

You’ll definitely see some tastes of Texas, Puerto Rico and the Great Smokys pop up in the US. I was so impressed with the quality of seafood in Iceland that I hope I can bring some of those incredible scallops and lava salt over.

The one thing I won’t be bringing is that bloody wooden plank from Finland! There’s a reason we don’t have that in London.

Why is National Geographic and Disney+ the perfect home for ‘Uncharted’?

National Geographic is home to exploration and adventure, and I couldn’t think of anywhere else this show could be. Having Disney+ is an incredible opportunity to show a different type of fan what cooking and adventure is about to me.

What is it that people seem to love most about ‘Uncharted’?

People love the adventure, but I think they appreciate my honesty. It’s not in my DNA to sugarcoat things, so if something tastes terrible, I’m not afraid to say it (or, in some cases, spit it out… Sorry to our photographer, who was in my line of fire in Iceland.) INQ

Catch Season 3 of “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted” every Tuesday at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel (channels 41/195 on SkyCable; channels 141/240 on Cignal).