Cooking a Gordon Ramsay recipe is like playing in the culinary big leagues. The man doesn’t do “easy,” but he sure does “delicious.” So, when I stumbled upon his Crispy Chicken Thighs with Romesco Sauce, from his Quick and Delicious Cookbook, I thought, how hard can it be? Spoiler alert: harder than it looks, not too hard, but worth every single questionable decision I made when making this.

Here’s how my attempt went—burnt fingers, food processor mishaps, and all.

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Step 1: Gather All the Things (And Try Not to Panic)

First, the ingredients. This dish requires chicken thighs (with the skin—because duh, crispy), roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, and olive oil. Simple enough, right? Well, except for when I grabbed regular “ground paprika” instead of “smoked” and wondered why my sauce tasted like it was missing its mojo. Pro tip: double-check your spice labels before diving in.

Gordon always preaches “mise en place” (which is French for put your stuff in tiny bowls and feel fancy), so I measured everything out. It felt very professional until I realized I’d already dirtied half the dishes in my kitchen. Oh well—future me can deal with that.

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Step 2: The Great Chicken Crispening

Now, the star of the show: chicken thighs. Ramsay’s method for crispy skin is straightforward—place the thighs skin-side down in a hot, dry skillet and let the magic happen. No poking, no flipping, no panicking.

This is harder than it sounds. It’s like babysitting: you’re not supposed to look too much, but you also don’t want to ignore it and burn the house down. After 7 nerve-wracking minutes, the skin was starting to get golden and glorious. I flipped the thighs maybe a minute or two too early, added the Kale and water, popped the pan into the oven, and did a little victory dance—because if Ramsay himself were watching, I’d like to think he’d call me a “bloody legend” (and maybe only yell a little).

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Step 3: The Romesco Sauce Fiasco

While the chicken cooked, I started on the Romesco sauce. It’s a blend of roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, olive oil, and smoked paprika. Ramsay’s version looked smooth and luxurious, so I figured I’d just toss everything into my food processor and call it a day.

Cue disaster. First, I burnt my first batch of almonds, then almost forgot to toast the second batch, which apparently is kind of a big deal. Then I overfilled the processor, leading to a small-red sauce explosion. My countertop looked like a crime scene from a paprika-themed murder mystery. After a brief cleanup session (and some mild swearing), I got the sauce to the right consistency—chunky but still spreadable. Now, mind you… I’ve never ate this stuff before at all. I wasn’t even sure HOW to eat it, lol. Do I just spoon it and eat like a side, do I dip my chicken into it, do I mix with the kale? Don’t laugh too hard, but I had to actually google how to eat Romesco sauce… LOLOLOL.

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Step 4: Plating Like a Boss

The recipe calls for cooking the meat for 8 minutes on the stove, then 8 minutes in the oven. But I found out that wasn’t enough for me to be satisfied that I wouldn’t get food poisoning LOL. I took it out, looked at it, took its temp (which was borderline on done) snapped a photo (below) and popped it in for another 10 whole minutes at the lower temp of 350. Then it was really done to my liking! Side note, I had no shishito peppers on hand, but the ones Anaheim’s that I did have were a tasty substitute.

Plating this dish was my moment to shine—or at least attempt to look like I knew what I was doing. I almost smeared the Romesco sauce onto the plate in a “crescent moon” shape, like Gordon does, but I opted for a spoonful gollop slapped on the plate instead. I placed the chicken thigh close by, crispy skin gleaming like culinary gold, and added a sprinkle of parsley for that extra chef-y touch.

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The Taste Test: A Win for Team Foodie

The first bite was heaven. The chicken skin was crispy and salty (a.k.a., chicken perfection), while the meat stayed juicy and tender. The Romesco sauce brought its smoky, nutty, tangy vibes to the table, like a zesty party crasher who everyone secretly loves. It was so good, I impressed myself!

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Lessons Learned: Ramsay Wisdom for Mortals

1. Crispy Skin Requires Patience
   Think of it as skincare for chicken—low and slow is the way to go. Don’t peek, poke, or prod, no matter how tempting.
2. Don’t Skip the Toasting
   Toasting the almonds is what gives Romesco sauce its depth.
3. Own Your Plating
   Even if your sauce smear looks like a toddler’s finger painting, serve it with confidence. If Gordon can yell at a raw scallop with pride, you can own your imperfect crescent moon.

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Final Thoughts: Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely! Despite the mini disasters, cooking Gordon Ramsay’s Crispy Chicken Thighs with Romesco Sauce was a blast. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel like a legit chef—even if your kitchen looks like it lost a battle.

So, grab your skillet, summon your inner Gordon (swearing optional), and give it a go. Worst case, you end up with crispy chicken and a funny story. And isn’t that what cooking’s all about?

Disclaimer: the link to the cookbook in this post is an affiliate link, and I would get a very small commission from any sales made from it.