Last Updated on February 15, 2026
Pro tips to elevate an amateur cook to the next level
Love him or hate him, Gordon Ramsay is one of those chefs who everyone notices. I’m currently immersed in ‘Next Level Chef’ – a cookery programme which I’d already decided to hate before it ever aired – and which I am now totally addicted to. If you happened to want to take part in a future series, I’d strongly advise taking yourself off to the Gordon Ramsay Academy first – it’s a great place to learn the tricks of the trade from real chefs – and to have a fun experience at the same time. I’ve just got back from trying their Taste of Spain: Tapas course – an afternoon event that is perfect if you want a few recipes to impress your friends and family in the future. The Gordon Ramsay Academy is just outside London in Woking, but fast trains from Waterloo take just 25 minutes and run several times an hour and the Academy itself is just a few minutes from the station.
Once you get to the Academy, you’ll be taken on a quick tour. There are kitchens of different sizes, dining rooms and a chill-out library. There’s a good coffee machine too – and we were greeted with homemade brownies. Not particularly Spanish but the perfect start to the afternoon!
Our group was relatively small (for 6 people) but the School does run classes for larger groups and there’s a kitchen that can support 12 cooks. They also run a whole series of classes for children and teens – I’ve been told they sell out really quickly. In fact, from a quick glance at the website, it’s clear the Gordon Ramsay Academy is very popular. There is a mixture of online and face-to-face classes, with events that run for anything from a few hours to all day. People come by themselves or with a friend or partner – and the whole experience is quite sociable. Of course, you get to eat what you cook – or to take it home if you prefer.
Now, I count myself as an experienced cook, but I have no formal training at all. I didn’t take Home Economics, as it was then called, at school. My approach to everything in the kitchen can be a little haphazard. I rather like being shown how to do things properly and I always pick up tips. On this occasion, we made Gildas, Padron Peppers with a Paprika Crumb, Riojo Chorizo with Alioli, Chicken with Romesco and Almonds and Tortilla de Bacalao.
I learnt something with every recipe, despite having made several of the dishes before. As we made the Gildas, which I’ve actually done at a cookery class in the Basque region, I discovered my favourite easy tapas/pintxo was named after a film with the same name where the femme fatale (played by Rita Hayworth) has the same ‘salty and spicy’ attributes as the dish. Gildas are little skewers of anchovy, green olive and guindilla peppers which are great served with a good dry sherry.
Padron peppers are another tapas favourite of mine. We learnt not to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) for frying, but to cook with blended olive Pomace oil instead, which comes from the second pressing of the olives blended with a neutral oil that has a higher burn point. It’s a lot cheaper than EVOO too. We made a delicious paprika crumb to top our padron peppers, just garlic-infused oil, fresh sourdough breadcrumbs and a pinch of smoked paprika fried off till crispy.
Chicken with Romesco and Almonds was another ‘I’ll be making that again’ dish. I’ve been taught how to make Romesco before and to be honest, although I enjoy it, I am too lazy to char and peel red peppers. The Gordon Ramsay Academy recipe uses very good quality roasted red peppers from a jar – and for me that makes the sauce doable at home. We made our paprika-spiced chicken with boned thighs which as our chef/tutor Andrew Roberts pointed out, are much better for cooking in this way than breast meat because they have more fat and are less likely to dry out.
Luckily we didn’t have to try making the tortilla ourselves. But, I did discover yet another tip. I love bacalao but find it hard to buy in the UK. At the Gordon Ramsay Academy, I learnt they make their own and it’s something I’ll be trying at home. It’s a great ingredient for a tortilla, but I’m planning to make salt cod fritters!
My favourite of all the dishes though was the Rioja Chorizo with Alioli. I have made my own version of chorizo with red wine for years – but it’s nothing like as good as this elevated dish. And, I finally cracked how to make mayonnaise and alioli, under the watchful eye of Andrew. I’m not a patient person and despite every instruction telling me to add the oil in a thin stream, I’ve been too enthusiastic on a regular basis – with the end result never thickening up properly.
Now I know what ‘a thin stream’ means (literally about a quarter of my own interpretation!). The Alioli was made with milk rather than egg, but thickened in exactly the same way and tasted just a bit lighter and fresher. It’s something that will be so useful if I’m cooking for friends who can’t eat raw eggs – or if (as is often the case) I simply don’t have eggs in the house.
I also loved the cooking chorizo that we used, from HG Walters, softer and spicier than the supermarket version I’ve been working with at home. For me, it was my standout recipe and I’ll be making this one again very soon. I’m sharing the recipe for the Rioja Chorizo here – the alioli just uses 100ml of milk to 200ml of olive oil with garlic, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt to taste, made up as you would do a mayonnaise.
Here’s how to make the Rioja Chorizo if you want to try it for yourself.
An easy recipe for Chorizo in Red Wine made on the hob
- 75 g cooking chorizo
- 1 teaspoon pomace or olive oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic peeled and finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- 150 millilitres Rioja
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar optional
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Cut the chorizo sausages in half lengthwise and peel away the skins carefully.
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Chop the peeled sausages into a fine dice
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In a frying pan, add the chorizo and turn the heat to medium. Starting with a cold pan will help render the fat from the chorizo which in turn will flavour the sauce.
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Continue to cook, stirring occasionally or gently shaking the pan until the chorizo is cooked through (about 5 minutes)
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Set the chorizo to one side and using the fat that has been rendered down, add the onions. If necessary add a little extra oil.
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Cook the onions on a medium heat for a few minutes before adding the garlic and continuing to cook until soft and starting to caramelise. This should take around 5 minutes
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Stir in the tomato puree and cook for a minute
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Add the chorizo mixture to the onions, garlic and tomato and stir through
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Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer
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Cook for a further five minutes or so until it has reduced down and is coating the chorizo. During this stage, taste and season as required. If you like, add the sugar for a softer, sweeter sauce
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Serve hot with alioli on the side and with plenty of crusty bread
Finally, we learnt how to plate everything. It’s a stage in cooking classes that is often missed – but all the dishes that are shown above are my own plating – as demonstrated first by Andrew
Online classes with the Gordon Ramsay Academy start at around £30. An afternoon event like the Taste of Spain Tapas course will cost £100, while there are short evening classes that are just £60. Remember you get to eat the food you cook – and take home any leftovers. And, there’s a glass of wine to help wash it all down. It’s an excellent option for cooks of all levels and all ages – and one where even more experienced home cooks will learn a lot. For more information check out their website
Gordon Ramsay Academy
57-61 Commercial Way,
Woking,
Surrey GU21 6HN
020 7352 2442
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