On the new Nat Geo series Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, the upcoming episode sees the intrepid chef head to New Zealand and explore indigenous ingredients that local Maori have relied upon for many years.
In this sneak peek of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted posted below, Ramsay is told he needs to scale a huge Fuchsia tree to get the ripest and very best berries that will not fall from the tree – you have to pick them.
This means he must climb a tree with branches that look less than sturdy enough to hold his weight. As you can see in the clip, Gordon is urged to climb by New Zealand chef Monique Fiso, who we learn is making news by creating a new twist on traditional Maori cuisine.
Uncharted premiered last Sunday night, with Nat Geo excited to share that the ratings looked very promising at the Television Critics’ Association on during a panel on Tuesday.
Ramsay appeared on the panel with Fiso, as well as Mick O’Shea, an Australian adventurer who’s been exploring Laos for decades and is the region’s leading cultural guide, plus award-winning showrunner Jon Kroll.
Courteney Monroe, President of National Geographic Television Networks, introduced the panel and said: “We knew we had something very special on our hands as soon as the rough cuts of this show started rolling in, which is why we have already ordered more episodes.”
Where does Gordon Ramsay go?
Gordon traveled to Laos, New Zealand, Peru, Alaska, Morocco and Hawaii. He traversed dense jungles, climbed trees, as you see on our clip below, and tapped into his inner Alex Honnold (Free Solo) and climbed sheer rocks.
The show has him rappelling down waterfalls and diving into the ocean, all in a bid to find the elusive ingredients prized by cultures lesser-known to western palates. He uncovers international flavors and gastronomic traditions few have seen on film including their prep methods as well.
Who is Gordon Ramsay?
This married father of five children is a true television star now and now he can claim to be a culinary explorer.
Also an entrepreneur, he is a Michelin-Starred chef and restaurant owner. And he is the host of multiple widely successful series on both sides of the Atlantic.
What did Gordon say about cooking in New Zealand?
Regarding this Sunday’s Maori expedition, he will be introduced to worms and guinea pigs…as well as elusive Fuchsia berries. But a cooking method that impressed him was explained too during the TCA panel on Tuesday.
With Monique, foraging and having that kind of oasis on your doorstep and highlighting stuff that I couldn’t even see walking through a forest was incredible. Understanding hāngi and just what it meant making the most amazing oven.
We’re in the middle of the finale today of MasterChef Season 10 and we got the top of the range Viking stoves. And so, they’re amazing, but what we dug and the pit we made and getting those rocks super-hot, you actually baked in there.
Monique Fiso added: “I did. I actually baked a pudding and I think you thought I was a bit bonkers, too. He was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I was like, ‘Oh,no, I’m going to make a steamed pudding.’ Because essentially it is a steaming method. It’s an oven that we work with in restaurants all the time.
Noting the work involved, Ramsay said: “Yeah, and you made me dig a six-foot bloody hole.”
Fiso laughed while discussing this in the panel, noting it was on the hottest day of the year. And that hāngi was a dangerous cooking method to boot.
She said: “Because hāngi, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is a method of cookery under the earth with extremely hot rocks. First, you light a fire and the fire ends up being about a thousand degrees. You wait until the rocks get white-hot and then you layer the food in. And then you put dirt over it, and then you wait and hope in five hours, that you actually have something to serve your guests. And it’s not an easy task and not usually something that I would do with a beginner.”
“But Gordon was game-on, and he was great. He followed the instructions – and you can really hurt yourself doing a hāngi, it’s very, very dangerous and he was super respectful, took it on-board, didn’t mind that I had to yell at him. Because I have his safety to worry about, as well as the production crew.”
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted airs Sunday at 10/9c on National Geographic Channel.