Gordon Ramsay - Renegade Scottish Chef and Restauranteur

One of our hottest restauranteurs is a sensational chef named Gordon Ramsay. He has won twelve Michelin stars for culinary excellence. With a highly acclaimed chain of international restaurants, he is also a television personality, author, humanitarian and one of the most interesting personalities in the UK today.

Of Scottish origin and a former Ranger, he ended a potentially promising football career due to a double knee injury. Born in Scotland and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, he is the second of four children. His mother was a nurse, while his father held down various positions including swimming pool manager and shopkeeper. A “hard drinking womanizer“ Gordon left his family to live on his own at the age of 16.

From the age of 19, he enrolled in culinary and hotel management “by coincidence“. In the late 1980s, Gordon began working in London for the temperamental Marco Pierre White, known for his intense working conditions and eruptions. Three years later, Gordon departed to learn French cuisine, so he began working for Albert Roux of La Gavrouche in Mayfair at the suggestion of White, not in Paris as he had originally planned. After a year, Roux invited him to work as the number two chef at a resort in French Alps. Following this, he proceeded to Paris to work with Michelin-starred chefs Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon and as a personal chef in the Bahamas.

Back in 1926, the Michelin tire company developed a 0 to 3 star system of rating restaurants throughout France (which later expanded to other parts of Europe). It does make sense, in a funny kind of way. Go out for a long drive, have a delicious meal in a restaurant. But what do the stars mean, exactly?

Anonymous inspectors taste the food, concentrating on the quality, technique used in its preparation, the actual personality of the food, and its consistency from beginning to end. Other details, like table service, interior decor and so on are not factored into the equation. Naturally, the more the stars, the better the meal. Receiving three Michelin stars is definitely an honor.

Upon returning to London in 1993, he was offered a prestigious head chef position at La Claire, and Mark White offered him a head chef position at Aubergine, with 10% of the proceeds. Over a year later, the restaurant earned its first Michelin Star. In 1997, a second Michelin star followed. Intending to start his own restaurant, Gordon Ramsay left Aubergine, having earned an excellent reputation in the culinary society.

In 1998, he opened his first – Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, putting his father in law in charge of operations. In 2001 he gained his third Michelin star, being the only Scotsman to accomplish this. After his first restaurant at Chelsey, he quickly developed his restaurant empire which are now internationally known and operational in London, Chelsea, Glasgow, Dubai, Tokyo, New York city, and most recently, in West Hollywood -Los Angeles.

Since 1996, he has written 21 books, including his autobiography Humble Pie, The F Word, Hell's Kitchen, Best Menus, Passion for Seafood, Just Desserts. He also writes a weekly column for The Times. Married to Cayetana Hucheson, he is the father of four children, two girls and two boys.

A sample menus of Gordon's creation is listed below. His meals are mainly geared to the upper class, but other gourmet specialties can be budgeted in for a modest 32 GBP, as listed below:

Appetizers

Sweet corn soup with Cornish crab and rosemary croûtons

Warldorf salad with Barkham blue cheese and salted walnuts

Main courses

Steamed Cornish mussels with parsley and garlic in a West Country cider sauce

Roasted sirloin of beef with Yorkshire puddings, roasted potatoes, runner beans and port wine gravy

Half roasted organic chicken with creamy mashed potatoes, savoy cabbage and chicken jus

Desserts

Burnt English cream with shortbread and raspberry sorbet

Chocolate tart with honey and milk ice-cream

Marinated cherry clafoutis with pistachio ice-cream

He's a celebrity - but still hands on in the kitchen. Listed below are a couple of his funnier moments caught on tape. There are many others - catching a kitchen thief, fighting - he's kind of a hard guy to be lukewarm about!

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Have a great day, and Bon Appetit!