Twenty-five years after the release of Anthony Bourdain’s chef memoir Kitchen Confidential, some customers in restaurants around the world still refuse to order seafood on Mondays. The book famously advised diners to avoid seafood due to the difficulty of sourcing and storing fresh fish on weekends. Like the mistaken belief that pork must never be eaten pink, and that microwaves have no place in top restaurants, kitchen myths can take on a life of their own.
- Some people still believe that pork must be cooked to a certain temperature to be safe to eat. However, a spokesperson for Australian Pork Limited says that pork can be enjoyed with a hint of pink in the middle.
- Customers often ask chefs if they can eat unopened mussels. The answer is no, but it’s not because they’re spoiled, according to the Sydney Fish Market.
- Some people think that microwaves are only used in lower-end restaurants, but some top chefs, like David Chang, swear by the microwave as a valuable tool in their kitchens.
When it comes to poultry, more caution is required. Food Standards Australia New Zealand warns against washing raw chicken before cooking, as this can spread harmful microorganisms around the kitchen. Instead, cooking the chicken thoroughly is the best way to ensure it’s safe to eat.
Seafood is another area fraught with confusion. Some people think that mussels should be thrown away if they haven’t opened after cooking. However, the Sydney Fish Market says that this isn’t necessarily the case.
- According to the Sydney Fish Market, mussels that haven’t opened after cooking may still be edible if they smell good.
- They should be pried open and checked for any off odors before eating.
As for drinks, some people believe that venues put the highest mark-up on the second-cheapest wine on the list. However, wine experts say that this is just a myth, and that many venues don’t follow this practice.
Wine drinkers can be set in their ways, and the myth that only red wine matches with red meat continues to hold with many people. However, wine experts say that there are two types of wine matching: complementary and contrasting. Red wine is great with red meat, but a fatty steak can also be paired with a crisp, acidic white wine.
“The way I see it, there are two different types of wine matching: complementary and contrasting,” says Caleb Baker, co-owner and wine buyer at Mr West and Bar Spontana. “Red wine is great with red meat, but a fatty steak can also be good with a crisp, acidic, zippy white wine.”
Some chefs and food experts also disagree with the myth that Thai food and wine don’t belong together. In fact, many Thai dishes can be paired with a variety of wines, including white and red.
“We have a merlot that’s great with the mince quail curry with young ginger,” says Annita Potter, chef-owner at Viand restaurant in Sydney. “I tell people: if it’s on the list, it’s good and works with the [Thai] food.”
Loic Avril, head of wine at Lucas Restaurants, agrees that the so-called “mismatch” of Thai food and wine is outdated. He suggests pairing Thai dishes with chilled red wine, aromatic whites, and “skin contact” whites.
“Chilled red wine is perfect, you want the fruit to generate a pillow of texture,” says Avril. “Aromatic whites team perfectly with coriander and lemongrass, rieslings with sweetness and spice, and’skin contact’ whites with a classic green chicken curry.”
As for Malaysian cuisine, some people believe that drinking beer while eating durian can kill you. However, Junda Khoo, owner of Ho Jiak, says that this is just a myth.
“I’m not sure if it’s a myth or not but back home they say if you drink beer while eating durian, it can kill you,” says Khoo. “But I think it’s just a silly superstition.”
Sean Connolly, a chef with a fine-dining background, believes that kitchen myths are often created by traditionalists.
“I’ve been told chocolate and passionfruit don’t go together, [but] that’s bollocks,” says Connolly. “That whisky and oysters will give you a bad stomach … [but] these days there’s a lot of smashing everything together.”
One of the overarching rules that many Italian chefs guard is that parmesan – or any cheese – shouldn’t be in the same postcode as seafood. However, Caterina Borsato from Melbourne CBD stalwart Caterina’s Cucina e Bar says that this is just an outdated rule.
“I was recently spotted with a blob of cheese and octopus ragu,” says Borsato. “It was a bit of a shock, but I think it’s time to rethink this rule.”
Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide what they believe and what they prefer.