Who is Chef Gordon Ramsay ?

• Gordon Ramsay Holding runs 25 restaurants and pubs worldwide
• Gordon earns $250,000 per episode of Hell's Kitchen and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
• Gordon earns around one million pounds per book (around 1.5 million in US dollars)
• Gordon was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2006
• Gordon is left handed

Gordon Ramsay has the distinction of being the Worlds Highest Paid Chef, grossing around 15 million pounds per year (around 23 million in US dollars), according to Telegraph.co.uk.

In January 2007 Gordon Ramsay Holdings opened Cielo at the exclusive Boca Raton resort in Florida under the guidance of Angela Hartnett.

Back in the UK, Gordon Ramsay Holdings opened their first pub, The Narrow in London's Limehouse. Located in a Grade II-listed building on the banks of the Thames.

Gordon Ramsay Holdings received two Michelin stars in January. La Noisette received it's first star and Pétrus was awarded its second.

In October Quadrille published Gordon Ramsay, 3 Star Chef; containing 50 of Gordon's signature dishes from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

October was also the month that saw the publication of Gordon's follow up to Humble Pie. Titled Playing with Fire, the book gives insight into Gordon's success and his company.

October saw two exciting new openings with the fifth international restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Ireland and Gordon's second pub, The Devonshire in Chiswick.

Finally, in November Gordon will open Maze Prague at the Hilton Old Town in Prague. Further international openings are planned for 2008 in Los Angeles, Paris and Amsterdam. 2008 will also be the year that Gordon opens a restaurant at the newly built Richard Rogers designed Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. The restaurant, known as Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food, will open in March 2008.

1. Served with a side of sarcasm - absolutely!


2. He's the kind of guy that you either really love or really hate! Myself, I love people who are controversial


3. Who else do you know that can get away with using the "F" word like he does? Yikes!


4. A rugged beauty, especially those eyes!

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pinches dried oregano
300g minced beef
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
30ml (2 tbsp) red wine
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
50ml milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
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25g butter
25g flour
300ml milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
60g Cheddar cheese, grated
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
6 sheets of 'non-cook' lasagne sheets

For the salad
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1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 x round lettuce head, rinsed and dried

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.

2. Heat the olive oil in a hot pan. Grate the onion and carrot and crush the garlic before frying together. Season with the bay leaf, a pinch of oregano, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper. Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan. Place the mince in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up. Add the tomato puree and allow to cook out for 30 seconds. Continue until all the meat has browned nicely. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes. Leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside.

3. To make the cheese sauce, first melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir to form a paste. Over a gentle heat add a third of the milk, whisking to prevent any lumps forming. Add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the Cheddar cheese. Stir and remove from the heat.

4. Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping). Next, pour in just under half of the cheese sauce, and spread evenly using a spatula before spooning the remaining meat on top. Add the final layer of pasta and use the spatula to pour over the remaining cheese sauce.

5. Finish with the grated Parmesan and sprinkle with another pinch of oregano. Add a light seasoning of salt and pepper before cleaning the edges of the dish and placing in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

6. In the bottom of your salad bowl use a fork to whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully open the head of lettuce, season inside with salt and pepper. Upend the lettuce headfirst into the salad bowl. Holding the root, wipe the leaves around the bowl to coat in the vinaigrette. Twist the root and pull it out. Turn the dressed head of lettuce onto a large plate and gently open out.

7. Portion out the lasagne and serve alongside the salad.

The Michelin Guide uses a system of symbols to identify the best hotels and restaurants within each comfort and price category.

For restaurants, Michelin stars are based on five criteria:

• The quality of the products


• The mastery of flavor and cooking


• The "personality" of the cuisine


• The value for the money


• The consistency between visits

Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants offering the finest cooking, regardless of cuisine style. Stars represent only what is on the plate. They do not take into consideration interior decoration, service quality or table settings.

Serves 10-12
Preparation time 1-2 hours
Cooking time 1 to 2 hours

Ingredients for the herb butter

250g/9oz pack unsalted butter, softened
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped leaves only
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
5-6kg/11-13lb medium-sized turkey
3 or 4 good quality, thick sausages, skins removed

Ingredients for the stuffing

200g/7oz white breadcrumbs
125g/4½oz butter
1 onion, finely chopped
large sprig of thyme and rosemary, chopped leaves only
6 fresh sage leaves
1 lemon, zest only
50g/2oz pine nuts
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the gravy

1 onion or large shallot, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
125ml/4fl oz dry white wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
500ml/17fl oz chicken stock
200ml/7fl oz double cream
pan juices from roasting
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F
2. Make the herb butter, mix herbs and butter together to form a paste, season well and chill.
3. Prepare the turkey, to remove legs, cut through the skin and pull joint firmly away from body then cut through ball and socket joints.
4. Cut away the 'oyster' on the back of the turkey so leg and thigh comes away cleanly.
5. With a thin, sharp knife, bone both legs and stuff with sausage meat.
6. Wrap tightly in tin foil and chill to set the shape.
7. Prepare the crown, cut off wing tips and, for easier carving, take out the wishbone and cut away back bone with poultry shears.
8. Lift up the breast skin with your fingers and separate it from the flesh.
9. Divide the herb butter between the two breast flaps and pull the skin back over.
10. Season well, place in a roasting tin and cover loosely with butter paper or foil.
11. Cook the turkey, put the foil-wrapped legs in a roasting pan and cook at 350F for 45 minutes. Reduce temperature to 320F and cook for a further 15 minutes then remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes, straining off any juices for the gravy.
12. Cook the crown for 1-1½ hours at 350F until juices run clear and let the bird rest for 30 minutes before carving.
13. Make the stuffing, melt butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté onion and garlic for five minutes until soft.
14. Stir in the herbs for one minute then add breadcrumbs to absorb butter.
15. Mix in zest, pine nuts and seasoning and cook over medium heat for about seven minutes until crumbs start to brown and crisp.
16. Take off the heat, mix in the parsley and serve warm.
17. Make the gravy, sauté the onion in the olive oil for about five minutes. Pour in the wine, add the thyme and bay and boil until reduced right down.
18. Add stock and boil until reduced by half then add cream and boil for further five minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
19. Remove from heat, cool for ten minutes and strain.
20. Add turkey pan juices, boil for two minutes, season with salt and strain. (This can be made in advance and frozen before the juices are added. When thawed, simply heat until boiling and follow point 20.)