If there’s one person we don’t want to upset when it comes to food, it’s Jamie. Sure, he’s all lovely jubbly, but get on his wrong side and all hell breaketh loose.

Unlike his Brit counterpart Gordon Ramsay, Jamie’s food rage is all well guided, from taking on childhood obesity to these easy-to-fix home-cooking faux pas, which he shared with Esquire UK.

Fish
It’s easy to do – white fish in particular cooks in near lightning-fast speed. Sounds obvious, but Jamie recommends keeping an eye on it. That way, you can take it off the heat when it’s *just* done and not a few, accidental minutes later. Perfectly cooked white fish should be opaque and pearl white in colour – check the thickest part of the fillet. Another trick for the soft, delicate protein? Gentle cooking methods. Think bathing in sauce, or lounging in rice, which acts as a buffer to intense heat.

Steak
There are a slew of sins people commit with steak. Offence number one? Cooking it stone-cold from the fridge, which practically guarantees tight, tough meat. Instead, let it come to room temp one hour before cooking. Another one? Choosing bright red uncooked beef instead of dark. It feels counter-intuitive, but darker-coloured steak often signals dry-aging (check with the butcher). As dry-aged beef has less water in it, it’s less prone to boiling (aka toughening), with the aging process adding a boatload more flavour, too.

Burger patties
It’s tempting to buy pre-made burger patties (oh the ease and speed), but take one bite and you’re met with regret. Often compressed in moulds, store-bought patties are dense and dry instead of light and juicy. They can also include a medley of suspect additions, including filler, flavourings and preservatives. Jamie, naturally, goes au naturale with simple chuck beef. Prized for its perfect fat-to-meat ratio, all it needs is a mincing before shaping into patties, seasoning with salt and pepper, then cooking. Et voila, bloody brilliant burger patties.