The seafood and cheese food myth
What’s wrong with seafood and cheese appearing together on the same plate? Does cheese really make seafood taste weird? Food Network star and Italian chef extraordinaire Scott Conant seems to be upset about this, but is he right? If cheese really does make seafood taste funky, many famous dishes shouldn’t have been invented, let alone become famous. An example of this would be the thermidor lobster. In his second battle, Japanese Iron Chef Komei Nakamura made a version using blue cheese; the tasters loved it and Nakamura won. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay claimed on TV that he likes mussels with blue cheese, and on Triple D, Guy Fieri enjoyed linguine with clams sprinkled with Parmesan (an Italian dish, Scott). What about the following famous dishes: seafood gratin, seafood risotto, and seafood fondue? Okay, maybe Chef Conant really is talking about cheese, and specifically fish. For that I have Iron Chef Cat Cora making fondue baracuda chips, and marscapone fish in Paris in the 100th episode of Anthony Bourdain.
An interesting anecdote came up recently. I was in Tijuana, Mexico, getting dental work done, and I went to a sushi bar for lunch. Afterwards, I still had a craving for something, so I went to a small restaurant and ordered a quesadilla. As I ate, I suddenly realized what I was doing: adding cheese to my fish!
Has Scott Conant ever had a fish sandwich at a burger joint with a slice of Americano inside? Haven’t you ever seen Giada de Laurentis, who is more Italian than he is, sprinkle Parmesan on fish? He may be able to think of something he doesn’t make better by adding cheese (chocolate, maybe?), but fish isn’t. Personally, I’m a big fan of seafood, including fish, in creamy, cheesy sauces. Have you already taken sides on this issue? Or maybe you haven’t thought about it and this article will inspire you to try your luck with fish and cheese. If you like it, let Scott know!
