Product Description

Gordon Ramsay has recently become almost more famous for his award-winning TV shows "Kitchen Nightmares" and "The F Word", than for his expertise as an awardwinning chef and restaurateur. However, at the heart of his talent is a passion for good food and an eye for perfection that has consistently seen him receive three coveted Michelin stars. He has been called the best chef of his generation, and this book sees Gordon at his day job - running a three-star kitchen and producing food often described as 'sublime'. Getting right to the heart of why Gordon is such a celebrated chef, the first part of the book shows 50 classic Gordon Ramsay recipes presented as they would be in one of his restaurants. The second part of the book shows the dishes presented in a domestic situation with full recipes and step-by-step instructions to recreate them yourself. Dishes include Gordon's signature Lobster Ravioli, Corn Reared Beef Fillet with Marrow Crust, Ginger Mousse and a Bitter Chocolate Cylinder with Coffee Granite.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4299 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-05
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk
Gordon Ramsay: Chef has to be one of the most sumptuous cookery books ever produced: massive and imposing, with a silver-embossed cover encased in a silver case. And the book itself, rather like its controversial author, represents something new in cookery books. Ramsay has, of course, made a reputation for himself not just for his considerable abilities as a chef, but as a short tempered martinet, tearing into his luckless students with expletive-filled rage. But that spleen is crucial to the man's philosophy (born out of a desire for perfection), and it is conveyed between the delicious-looking recipes presented here (cooking, as Ramsay forcibly reminds us, can’t be made up as you go along -- you've got to work, work, work). The recipes themselves look absolutely amazing, such as pan-roasted fillet of John Dory with Cromer Crab, crushed new potatoes and a basil vinaigrette (and it should be noted that Quentin Bacon's beautiful photographs are a massive asset to the book, doing full justice to the visual appeal of the food).

In deserts, too, the aspirational appeal here is impressive -- perhaps most of us would not be able to turn out (without trial and error) a raspberry, lemon and basil millefeuille with milk ice cream that looks quite as breathtaking as it does here, but Ramsay’s book is calculated to inspire us. Perhaps reading Chef is the perfect way to help us try to cook like Gordon Ramsay; for most of us, a spell in his restaurant kitchen would mean blood on the floor -- here we can learn from his cookery genius without having to put up with the tirades. What more could any aspiring chef want? --Barry Forshaw

About the Author
Gordon Ramsay has earned an extraordinary 12 Michelin stars for his restaurants in London and New York. Now a celebrated television presenter too, his award-winning television series include Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, The F Word and Hell's Kitchen. His other bestselling cookbooks, A Chef for All Seasons, Just Desserts, Secrets, Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy, Sunday Lunch, Fast Food and Healthy Appetite are all published by Quadrille.

Customer Reviews

Superb
This will become a classic book.
I have loathed Gordon Ramsays previous 'celebrity chef' books which have offered watered down recipes which bore little or no relation to his Michelin star restaurant offerings.
I love this book with an equal passion. It is truely an inspirational work and is at last a book worthy of a Michelin 3 star chef.
The book itself comes in a nice case and is school atlas in size (bigger than A4 so it may not fit on every bookshelf). It is beautifully shot, printed and layed out. Not too disimilar to the French Laundry Cookbook.
This is both a cookbook and a description of running a Michelin 3 star restaurant. The first half of the book (printed on glossy paper) deals with the latter with full size pictures of the finished dishes later detailed and the inspiration behind some of them.
The second half of the book (printed on card) gives the recipes for these. Make no mistake these are the actual 3 star recipes from his Royal Hospital Road Restaurant in Chelsea, London. There are 16 starters 17 main courses and 17 dessert recipes. As you would expect they all look fantastic.
The recipes are each broken down nicely into their individual components with the suggested order for preparation of each including if bits can be made in advance. The text is very clear with lots of advice on how to achieve the desired results. Thumb nail pictures are present with each recipe so you know what you are aiming for and each of the recipes have a section on how to assemble the finished dish.
Most of his classic dishes are in this book including 'Pan-fried scallops with a millefeulle of potato, parmesan veloute and truffle smarties', 'Scallops with sweetcorn puree and quails eggs' and 'Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon with a lemongrass and chervil veloute'.
Having now cooked several of these recipes including the lobster ravioli the recipes really do work if you are prepared to invest the time and effort and the results are fantastic.
If you have progressed beyond basic cookbooks and are looking for a cookbook to create stunning dinner party fare this is an absolute must. Surely a bible for all Michelin Star Restaurant addicts.

Not for the faint of heart
Let's get this straight. If you are considering purchasing this book, you have to posses a little more than the ability to make a piece of toast and boil and egg as this is not exactly Delia.
Having purchased this book and subsequently stared at it with affection on the coffee table for little over a week, I felt ready to get stuck into the recipes. If you feel confident enough in your abilities to cook good food and follow recipes, this book will not disappoint in any way shape or form. The recipes are given step by step and are incredibly easy to follow and guidelines for preparing ahead and final assembly are always on hand.
If you are ready to take the next giant leap of faith and start serving food of restaurant quality (I say this as noone will reproduce 3* food in a home kitchen) then this and The French Laundry cookbook are must haves.
Gordon: well done on producing the book that a lot of people have wanted!

3 starred book for a 3 starred Chef
I am a fan of Gordon Ramsey - his passion and search for perfection is truely inspirational. Unlike his previous Made Easy and F-Word books (and most like his early book "Passion for Flavour"), this book is pitched at the foodie in all of us. It is based on food served at his 3 Michelin starred restaurant in Chelsea, London. This book oozes class, from its slip case to quality production throughout - best of all though, the food looks absolutely stunning. The photography, by Quentin Bacon, is worthy of the production Ramsey has achieved on the plate - from Ravioli of Lobster, Pan Roasted fillet of halibut to the (oh my God!) amazing desserts. The raspberry, lemon and basil millefeuille is a work of art!

This level of food, for the home cook like me, can be very intimidating. How can I possibily make this food? This brings me to the whole crutch of the book. As a photoessay on the quality of Ramseys food it works beautifully but does it work as a cook book for the amateur? As my first dip into the book I cooked the Roast Venison as main and then the Pineapple soup and Toffee souffle as dessert. I am happy to report that the recipes are clearly laid out (I recommend that you read them throughly a few times before you start - there can be a lot going on in the recipes). I particulary like the bullet point-like sentences that are incredibily helpful when the pans are bubbling away and you need a quick reminder.

Best of all, the recipes worked! I had never made souffle before but my souffle rose really nicely and tasted great on the night. I think this is crucial to what Gordon Ramsey is doing in his recipe books and I think perfected in the current book: giving the amateur cook an opportunity to share in his incredible talent and achieve delicious food. I want to visit his 3-stared Chelsea restaurant to compare my creations with his!

This inspirational book should become a classic. My first Michelin star is on the way!

Thanks for reading my views

Jonathan