Gordon Ramsay’s succotash is a quick saute of sweetcorn, mixed peppers, jalapeño, and courgette, finished with fresh lemon and coriander. It serves 4 as a side and takes about 15 minutes in one pan.
Gordon calls it “one of the first things I learned when I came to America,” and he serves it with fish. In his video he spoons it alongside salmon, while his cookbook plates a charred version with pan-seared trout.
The step that matters is toasting the corn. You saute the kernels first so they catch a little colour, which brings out their sweetness before the rest of the vegetables go in.
Gordon Ramsay Succotash
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes8
minutes155
kcal18
minutesGordon’s American-style succotash, a fast one-pan saute of toasted sweetcorn, three colours of pepper, jalapeño, and courgette, brightened with lemon and coriander. Serves 4 as a side at roughly 155 kcal, ready in about 15 minutes.
Ingredients
2 ears of sweetcorn, kernels sliced off (or 300g tinned/frozen)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely diced
1 yellow squash, finely diced (optional)
Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Toast the corn: Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sweetcorn and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the kernels start to colour and smell toasty.
- Add the peppers: Stir in the red, green, and yellow peppers along with the jalapeño. Cook for 2 minutes so they soften slightly but keep some bite.
- Add the courgette: Tip in the courgette and yellow squash. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, tossing, until everything is just tender.
- Season: Season well with salt and pepper. Taste as you go, the corn should stay sweet against the gentle heat of the jalapeño.
- Finish: Take the pan off the heat. Stir through the chopped coriander and squeeze in the lemon juice. Serve straight away while bright and fresh.
Notes
- Gordon finishes the video version with lemon, while the charred cookbook version uses lime. Both work, so use whichever you have. Frozen or tinned sweetcorn is fine out of season.
FAQs
What does Gordon serve with his succotash?
He treats it as a partner for fish. In the video he says it “goes brilliantly well with the salmon,” spooning it alongside a crisp fillet. His cookbook serves a charred version with pan-seared trout.
It is not just for fish though. The sweet, fresh vegetables cut through richer meats too, so it works beside his pan-seared pork chops or piled next to his crispy skin salmon.
What is the difference between Gordon’s two succotash versions?
His cookbook version chars the corn and red peppers under a hot grill first. Then he dices them into a saute with red onion, garlic, and lime, which gives a smoky, deeper flavour.
The video version is fresher and faster. He sautes the corn in the pan, adds raw mixed peppers, jalapeño, and courgette, then finishes with lemon. This page follows that quicker method, but you can char the corn first if you want the smokier result.
Why toast the corn before the other vegetables?
I mentioned toasting the corn up top, and here is why it matters. Sauteing the kernels on their own for a few minutes lets them catch a little colour and heat through, which concentrates their natural sugars.
If you add everything at once, the corn steams in the moisture from the peppers and courgette instead of browning. A couple of minutes of solo sauteing first makes a real difference to the sweetness.
What vegetables go in Gordon’s succotash?
The base is always sweetcorn, the star of any succotash. To that Gordon adds three colours of pepper, red, green, and yellow, plus a chopped jalapeño for a gentle background heat.
In the video he also folds in courgette and yellow squash for extra freshness and body. Coriander and a squeeze of citrus tie it together at the end. It is flexible, so use what looks good.
Should I finish it with lemon or lime?
Both turn up in his cooking, depending on which version you follow. The video gets a squeeze of fresh lemon at the end, which keeps it bright and clean against fish.
His cookbook version uses lime, which leans a little more towards the dish’s Mexican-American roots alongside the coriander. Either lifts the sweetness of the corn, so reach for whichever is in your fruit bowl.
Can you make succotash ahead?
It is best fresh, while the vegetables still have bite and the herbs are bright. Made too far ahead, the courgette softens and the corn loses that just-toasted snap.
You can prep all the chopping earlier in the day and keep it covered in the fridge. Then saute at the last minute, which takes under 10 minutes. Leftovers keep for a day and are good cold, tossed through a salad or grain bowl.
