Behind The Plate At Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay at The London in New York City is the American counterpart to its namesake's first restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London. Located in Midtown Manhattan, Gordon Ramsay serves fine dining French cuisine from the hands of chef de cuisine Markus Glocker. Chef Glocker works in a bustling kitchen alongside those cooking for Maze, The London Bar, and in-room dining for the hotel. At the far end of the busy, yet impeccably organized kitchen, sits an exclusive yet elegant chef's table that seats up to eight people.
A dish on offer at Gordon Ramsay is Rabbit Ballotine. It consists of rabbit mousse on a bed of crème fraîche, garnished with candied hazelnuts, rabbit leg, romanesco, grilled Swiss chard stems, blanched Swiss chard leaves, pickled red peppers, and chervil. The dish is perfectly seasoned, and chef Glocker meticulously designs the plate, never having an ingredient out of place. Such precision goes into every plate that goes out to each patron in the sophisticated 45-seat dining room.
Though the dish may look small, a lot goes into creating something so detailed. The rack of rabbit has to be cooked to perfection in just the right amount of butter and thyme. The crème fraîche base must be evenly distributed on the plate. The red pepper and Swiss chard stem has to balance out the green of the chevril and romanesco. Each garnish has a purpose, for taste as well as visually. The attention to detail and precision that goes into making a dish like this is what makes it so fascinating to witness.