Where something simpler would always have been better
The Ready, Steady, Chuck! Recipes
All of the recipes featured at Ready, Steady, Chuck! Challenges over the years can be found from the links below, starting with the most recent. Try them out for yourself at home! The unique challenge of Ready, Steady, Chuck! means that all of these recipes can be easily recreated at home with no need for expenditure on specialist kitchen equipment. All the ingredients should be readily available at your nearest Ready, Steady, Chuck!-compatible supermarket.
2017 Challenge
Once again, our celebrity chefs competed in an unsuspecting kitchen in Bangor for the 12th Ready, Steady, Chuck! challenge. Chef Kath's adventurous attempt to incorporate no fewer than five liquid ingredients in her lemon, lentil and stilton dessert only failed to deliver because of its disappointingly soggy base. In a brave attempt to bring paté-ontology into the kitchen for the first time, artistically working with spicy fruit, vegetable, chocolate and meat flavours, Chef Al once again proved himself far ahead of fashion and probably just one step too far for the palates of the judges. The contrasting edibility of Chef Kirsty's modern vision of the take away fruity prawn and lettuce curry, though, might have won, if it hadn't been so harshly criticised for the inclusion of the foil pie tray in its final presentation. But all were surpassed in the end by Chef Andy's winning creation that combined classical French pastry skills with elements of an English breakfast, garlic, and Haribo mix. Nice.
2015 Challenge
2015 was the first year that the Ready, Steady, Chuck! Challenge was run using the Ready, Steady, Chuck! EXPRESS™ rules. Only three Chefs competed, but the standard was as high as usual. A close-run thing, with Chef Al coming out a surprise winner, despite his signature ingredient of cheese & onion crisps.
2014 Challenge
Five chefs competed at the 10th Ready, Steady, Chuck! Challenge in 2014, and some new and challenging ingredients were seen, some for the first time ever, not least fresh sardines. The event had both deconstructional and constructional themes, often in the same dishes, no less than three of them attempting to build scenes and structures, but it was Chef Kath's original melding of salad, chocolate and barbecue flavours that eventually won the day.
2012 Challenge
2012 was another great year. Chef Marcus joined the Challenge for the first time, establishing himself as the master of the fishy dessert. As usual, the Ready, Steady, Chuck! celebrity chefs were on top form, their cheffy ingenuity seemingly knowing no bounds. In the end, the 2012 Challenge was the closest of events, with virtually nothing separating the final scores. By a whisker, Chef Andrew's Bangor Bongo Bonus Biscuit was judged the winner, but the competition could not have been closer.
2011 Challenge
With one of the most inventive, and against all likelihood, tasty, of Ready' Steady. Chuck!'s dishes, Chef Andrew's creation Me Mini Fish Cakes won the 2011 Challenge by a whisker after points countback over Chef Andy's Pavlova Salad Sandwich. This year, not only was there was an exceptionally high standard of cheffery but six chefs - more than ever before - competed for the prize. The competition was unprecedentedly close, and some great new dishes were created. .
2010 Challenge
Ready, Steady, Chuck!'s dishes seem to improve with every year's event. The 2010 Challenge was no disappointment. The beautiful presentation of Chef Andrew's Odin's Longship and Chef Andy's Fruit Sushi With Wasabi Cheese Croquettes were matched by the intricacy of preparation, and length of name, of Chef Kath's Peekaboo Lettuce With Reclaimed Meat Accompaniment And A Peach And Beetroot Flower With Centre Of Reconstituted Creamy Steak. New Challenge competitor Chef Kirsty narrowly missed a Special Achievement Award with her Chocolate Olive Cheesecake, but it was Chef Al's Black Forest Eggs that took the prize, even though they didn't actually have any eggs in them.
2009 Challenge
Controversy is never far away from Ready, Steady, Chuck!, as was proved by the 2009 Challenge, which, for the first time ever, resulted in no outright winner. The dishes were not short of originality, though, and some great new classic recipes were created. Despite her disqualification, Chef Kath's Fudge Fishken was arguably the most complex Ready, Steady, Chuck! recipe ever. Bangor Boy on the Way to School saw the first application of culinary embroidery by Chef Andrew. Chef Andy's Chocolate Lemonburgers demonstrated expert colour control, and Chef Al and Chef Bruce's original creations convincingly demonstrated that salads and sandwiches should never be thought of as safe options.
2009 Web Launch Specials
For the official web site launch in 2009, special party food dishes were created by the Ready, Steady, Chuck! celebrity chefs using random ingredients and applying the official rules on location and outside the competitive arena. The resulting dishes were sampled not only by the chefs and party guests but also by the general public, to their delight and amazement..
2009 Junior Ready, Steady, Chuck! - Home Edition Specials
We forced some unsuspecting children to play test Junior Ready, Steady, Chuck! - Home Edition and these are the fantastic reations they came up with! If you like these recipes why not do it yourself, by playing your own games of Junior Ready, Steady, Chuck! Home Edition?
2008
A burst of sudden and unexpected creativity dominated the recipes in the 2008 Challenge. Chef Bruce's tasty Unorthodox Onion Fondant Surprise and Chef Andy's surprisingly wholesome Oriental Mixed Meat Risotto Florentine, and even Chef Kath's innovative approach to Weetabix preparation, were overshadowed by the food modeling that resulted in Rockstar and Chef Al's winning dish Rocket to Jamaica. This last, which could be seen to be a clear winner before it had even reached the table, won because of its impressive looks, which is also the reason it is unlikely to be available to the public except in a few very specialist restaurants.
2006
The 2006 challenge saw a multinational approach by the chefs to the dishes prepared. Chef Al's Crispy Choco-Noodle Supreme, a plate of creative but unconventionally-flavoured canapes reminiscent of French fancies, and Chef Andrew's Bangor Nipple Tipple Surprise, a Scottish-styled teacake porridge, were soundly beaten by Chef Kath's oriental The Tizer Soak. And the photos of what happened to the Italo-Irish Shandy Floater Stew (see A Walk Through the Ready, Steady, Chuck! Challenge) tell the story of Chef Bruce's dish far better than mere words allow.
2005
The 2005 challenge remains highly controversial because of the investigation of Chef Andrew's appeal against disqualification. Because it's possible there was a 2004 Challenge which everyone seems to have wiped completely from their memories. But besides deep-frying cabbage in margarine (which we assume did happen this year, even though we didn't have a cabbage), the outstanding memory of 2005 is Chef Al's Curry Biscuit, which - let's face it - would probably have been far better had it not happened at all. Stuffing sponge puddings with cheese is arguably more acceptable. And, of course, no sane person could forget the Miracle Whip experience.
2002
2002 is remembered in particular for the Baby Banana Porridge Incident - otherwise known as Chef Al's Melo-Banana Compote. This defied so many culinary conventions and introduced such radical new flavours to unsuspecting palates that it will live in our memories for ever. Blue Madeira Toast and Fruity Vegetable Battenburgers were worthy runners-up, but Chef Bruce was a deserving winner with Cheesy Potato Profiteroles, which not only demonstrated good use of colour, but was also exceptionally creative in its application of ready-made mashed potato. This dish, which has become one of the icons of Ready, Steady, Chuck!, wholeheartedly captures the spirit of the Challenge by combining radically contrasting textures, colours and flavours into a unique new culinary experience.
1999
1999 has a very special place in the hearts of all the Ready, Steady, Chuck! celebrity chefs, as this was the year that Ready, Steady, Chuck! was first conceived, and the first time the World Championship Challenge took place. Three truly classic recipes were produced. Chef Phil's Guacamole Ginger Cake and Chef Andrew's Grapefruit Sensation both severely challenged traditional flavour combinations. However, Chef Andy's Bacon, Avocado and Ginger Thing excelled all expectations, not only being a runaway winner, but also - and most unusually - being entirely eaten.
2001?
We've put this one out of order, because we aren't even sure whether there was a 2001 Challenge. So, as befits its name, this recipe does not actually exist. Allegedly. Or maybe it does. Regardless, we await the outcome of the judges concerning Chef Andrew's appeal, as that will probably sort it all out sensibly in the end. For more details about this controversy, including various related conspitracy theories, see Marmalized Pork. But watch this space, as sometime soon we'll find out the truth.