Gordon Ramsay has cooked for many a famous face, but Princess Diana tops them all.
The multi Michelin-starred chef and restauranteur, 54, is currently starring in Gordon, Gino & Fred Go Greek, a British TV docuseries that finds Ramsay exploring the culinary delights of Greek islands alongside fellow celebrity foodies Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix.
And on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, Ramsay sang the praises of the late royal, according to The Independent — calling a meal he made for “Lady Di” back in the ’90s at Chelsea restaurant Aubergine the “best meal” he ever made.
So what did Ramsay cook for her? A starter or pressed leek terrine, and a main course of sea bass, he told D’Acampo.
He went on to call her “just beautiful,” even comparing her to the lavish surroundings of Greece.
“I mean, here’s renowned as the supermodel of the islets — Santorini — and she, by far, was one of the most gracious members of the royal family I’ve ever met,” Ramsay said. Princess Diana died following a car crash in Paris in August 1997 when she was just 36 years old.
Back in June, former royal chef Darren McGrady — who spend 11 years cooking for the royal family, and worked specifically with Diana during the 4 years leading up to her death —paid tribute to Diana on what would have been her 60th birthday, sharing a few stories about her favorite foods in a video on his YouTube page. According to McGrady, Diana spent a lot of time in the kitchen, but “wasn’t a good cook.”
“She’d often just sit up on the counter or on the chest freezer, and she loved talking about Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables. We both loved going to the theater,” McGrady said, “She would just talk about anything and everything going on.”
“She was an incredible caring woman,” McGrady said. “She cared as much about the people behind those palace gates, as she did those in front.” As for what Diana loved to eat, McGrady said she often indulged in various “stuffed” dishes, like stuffed peppers, lobster thermidor, and stuffed eggplant. She would also often eat tomato mousse, and egg suzette (a baked potato, egg, and spinach dish). But McGrady learned not to tell other people what Diana loved, after he mentioned salmon was a favorite of hers to charities requesting her preferred food choices.
“About two weeks later she came into the kitchen and said to me, ‘Darren, what’s for lunch? I’m starving! Please tell me it’s not salmon. What is it with all you chefs and salmon? Everywhere I go these days, everyone’s serving salmon!”