‘Steal’ this Maine lobster and Caesar salad dish

Phil Lempert TODAY Food Editor • Profile • E-mail

In this special weekly feature, TODAY Food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.

This week’s “stolen” recipe is a delectably luxurious and intricate offering to help start the New Year right!  And we would expect nothing less coming from the kitchen of one the latest additions to Gordon Ramsay’s expanding empire.  We’ve been lucky enough to “nick” this recipe from Josh Emett, chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay at The London, NYC and also at maze, the more casual dining offering at Gordon Ramsay at The London.

In its first year of eligibility, Gordon Ramsay at The London has been awarded two stars by the Michelin Guide New York City 2008, one of only six New York restaurants to receive the two-star rating for next year. Gordon Ramsay Holdings now have the highest number of Michelin stars of any restaurant group in the world.

Ever wondered what a Michelin star actually is?  Well, we’re going to tell you … the Michelin star refers to one of the symbols given as a standard of excellence in the Michelin Red Guide, which was first published as a tour guide to France by Andre Michelin in 1900. It was created to help travelers maintain their cars, find decent hotels and ,of course, good food! The focus has remained on the food and in 1926, the guide introduced the star system to note good cooking; two and three stars were added in the early 1930s. The Michelin Guides’ stars are probably the most recognized and influential culinary ratings in Western Europe.

The guide awards one, two and three stars to a small number of restaurants of outstanding quality. Stars are awarded sparingly; one star denotes "a very good restaurant in its category," two stars: "excellent cooking, worth a detour" and three stars: "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

About the chef: In the autumn of 2006 Josh Emett decided to make the move across the Atlantic, relocating from the U.K. to New York. where he is now chef de cuisine of The London, overseeing The London Bar, the newly established casual-fare restaurant, maze, and Gordon Ramsay at The London fine dining restaurant.

Brought up on a farm in Hamilton, a remote region of New Zealand, Josh discovered his passion for cooking as a child, as his family spent much of their time working on their farm, so he began cooking out of necessity. Prior to his position in New York, Josh trained at Waikato Polytechnic in Hamilton and then worked at several restaurants in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000, Josh joined the three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, London, as senior chef de partie before joining the team at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's.

From there he went on to become head chef at the reopened and refurbished Savoy Grill in 2003, joining Marcus Wareing, chef patron and, of course, another Ramsay protege. Josh has constantly wowed the critics and in January 2004, Josh and Marcus’ efforts came to fruition when the Savoy Grill won its first Michelin star.

Outside the kitchen, Josh is an avid sportsman. He and Ramsay both believe physical fitness directly contributes to performance in the kitchen. He credits running and tennis for staying in shape and also enjoys hunting, fishing and traveling in his spare time.

Maine lobster and confit chicken Caesar salad with Parmesan shavings is served at maze for $16. 

maze by Gordon Ramsey at The London
151 West 54th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
(212)  468 8889
www.gordonramsay.com/mazeatthelondonnyc/

Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a “Steal This Recipe” feature? Just e-mail Phil at Phil.Lempert@nbc.com (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.

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