Gordon Ramsay's Secret To Flawless Pastry Edges

I'm a massive fan of cooking shows, specifically anything with Gordon Ramsay as the host. From the heartfelt moments in "MasterChef: Junior" to the hilarious but awkward moments in "Hell's Kitchen," I've seen it all. What makes Ramsay so successful is his keen eye for excellent cuisine, his charming personality, and the critical but effective feedback he provides to the chefs competing. Besides being one of television's most prominent culinary faces, he frequently offers straightforward advice to create delicious dishes at home.

While he's most known for his savory British cuisine, like his famous Beef Wellington or sesame-crusted tuna, he also dabbles in baking. Take pies, for example. Besides tasting delicious, their beauty is also a draw to wanting to eat them. Ramsay is all about presentation, so it makes sense he has several tips up his sleeve to achieve a flawless pastry, like creating the perfect edges on the crust. His advice for this — during prep, be sure to let the dough hang over the edges of the baking dish. After the pastry is done cooking, all you have to do is give it a good trim with a knife, and you'll have a restaurant-quality dish. 

While it's great to have clean edges on a beautiful and delicious pie or tart, it's even more essential to ensure they're baked all the way through and come out the way you want them to. To achieve a correct cook, you'll want to test the center of the pastry to ensure it's not doughy. Because it'll be extremely hot, be sure to use something long and lean, like a cutting knife or skewer. If your utensil comes out with pastry dough or filling on it, it'll need more time in the oven. If it's clean, you're good to go.

Another quick tip Ramsay swears by is using baking beans. Not to be confused with baked beans, these little doodads come in a pack and are shaped like Cocoa Puffs. They're typically made of ceramic and are great to weigh down your pastry, like a pie crust. Using baking beans ensures your crust won't puff up, remaining as flat as a pancake. How cool is that?