To wonder what the buggery bollocks Jamie Oliver means half the time

[scaryfrogfish]

I'm currently flicking through his 5 ingredients cookbook, and several times it says to cook something until it's "gnarly". He even has whole recipes called "gnarly" this that and the other.

Gnarly means dangerous... I cannot find a single definition that could be descriptive of exactly how this "gnarly" food is supposed to look.

He uses the wrong word all the time for things, like a "good gulag of oil" and it just irritates me.

AIBU to think "gnarly" is a shit description when you're trying to explain to a cook how something needs to look?

I understand what he means by this. Do you genuinely have no idea what he means or does it just aggravate you?

What does he dedcribe as gnarly?

I get annoyed by every vegetable being 'humble'

Gnarly could also mean “brilliant”; as in “cook until the food looks awesome!”

Alternatively, “gnarly” as in all twisted and knotted?

Depends on the context/food really.

I absolutely, genuinely have no idea what that means. However, I would also find it immensely irritating in the use of recipes. This could be why I avoid Jamie Oliver pretty much anything at all costs.

He did go through a phase of hitting a piece of meat/fish with a bunch of herbs which I found ridiculous.
I'm not familiar with his gnarly recipes though.

Gnarled means "knobbly, rough, twisted". With regards to gulag instead of glug of oil... He is dyslexic, and it's a common trait to use the wrong words for things.

I understand what he means.

Maybe I understand as I've watched so much of his cookery on TV.

If I was making a cheese toasty in the pan I'd say it was 'gnarly' when all toasted deep and dark with crispy cheese edges. Rather than lightly coloured. Same with the topping of a cottage pie - nicely browned with the saucy edges catching a deep colour. Or perhaps a piece of fish or veg in the on caramelising.

Ps I actually wouldn't describe any of that personally as gnarly but if I was following a recipe I'd understand I'd reached 'gnarly' by my descriptions above

"Turn the noodles out onto a plate, retro style".

I mean, FFS.

Can someone who understands explain?

@1940s

Maybe I understand as I've watched so much of his cookery on TV.

If I was making a cheese toasty in the pan I'd say it was 'gnarly' when all toasted deep and dark with crispy cheese edges. Rather than lightly coloured. Same with the topping of a cottage pie - nicely browned with the saucy edges catching a deep colour. Or perhaps a piece of fish or veg in the on caramelising.

Ps I actually wouldn't describe any of that personally as gnarly but if I was following a recipe I'd understand I'd reached 'gnarly' by my descriptions above

I mean, you're right, and that makes sense, but when you're WRITING A BOOK, it's not OK just to repurpose words because they sound a bit like the word you mean.

If you want to say it needs to look gnarled, used gnarled. If you want to say it needs to be nicely browned, say nicely browned. Or if you want to be funky with language, "crispalicious". I mean, that's shit too, but at least I'd know what he meant.

@linerforlife

Gnarled means "knobbly, rough, twisted". With regards to gulag instead of glug of oil... He is dyslexic, and it's a common trait to use the wrong words for things.

Totally get this, and I'm not talking about his TV shows, I'm talking about published books.

With, presumably, editors and proofreaders.

I also would have no idea what cooking something till it was gnarly was supposed to mean.

To me it means like old trees?

Twisted, well cooked, fused, crunchy, crispy and brown, stuck to the pan.....sort of my way of cooking.

Impressionistic Dylan Thomas language doesn't really work in an instruction manual though, does it?

I was totally with you OP until you went down the road of 'crispalicious'

I've just got his new book and almost every single recipe included the phrase 'season to perfection' at least once, if not multiple times. Driving me mad!

"Pick over the tarragon and dish up". What does that mean? Pick the tarragon out of the meal you've just cooked? I genuinely have no idea.

I might have to step away from the recipe books.

Bless him.
Jamie is a few buttons short of a jacket.

No I wouldn't know what gnarly meant either with regards to food

"If you want to say it needs to look gnarled, used gnarled."

Gnarly is a form of gnarled, so as acceptable as gnarled?

His writing style isn't to your taste. Other people like it. So just give him a miss, there's no need to pull him to bits.

@linerforlife

Gnarled means "knobbly, rough, twisted". With regards to gulag instead of glug of oil... He is dyslexic, and it's a common trait to use the wrong words for things.

But surely a proofreader would pick up on the fact that he has used entirely the wrong word for something?

I think he went through a phase where everything was 'blippin'
That drove me insane.

@NiceGerbil

I also would have no idea what cooking something till it was gnarly was supposed to mean.

To me it means like old trees?

or arthritic fingers!

@ChanceChanceChance

What does he dedcribe as gnarly?

I get annoyed by every vegetable being 'humble'

Yeah if you could tell us what he's described as gnarly we may be able to work it out from the context?