Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson was a beloved fixture on Australian TV for decades – and now, after making a hugely successful return on TikTok, he’s back sharing his top kitchen secrets.
Mr Hewitson began hosting the series Healthy, Wealthy and Wise in 1992, and went on to front the programs Huey’s Cooking Adventures (1997) and Huey’s Kitchen (2010).
His last new cooking episode was broadcast on free-to-air in 2014.
Since getting the proverbial tap on the shoulder from commercial TV bosses, the Melbourne-based Kiwi chef has kept a low profile.
But that all changed earlier this year when Hewitson’s 22-year-old daughter Charlotte encouraged him to start a TikTok – and within days he was racking up hundreds of thousands of views with videos that have struck a nostalgic chord with fans.
The 75-year-old told FEMAIL he felt ‘humbled’ by the instant success, adding that his philosophy on TikTok is no different to when he was on TV: to inspire and teach others how to cook.
In terms of the Hewitson family Christmas menu – nothing is set in stone except for the top chef’s famous glazed leg of ham.
‘What I cook on Christmas Day changes every year,’ he said. ‘We’re not a prawn and crayfish family.’
Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson was a fixture on Australian TV for decades thanks to his popular afternoon cooking shows
Mr Hewitson is a ‘great believer’ in starting off with something you have pre-done so that you don’t have to spend the whole day slaving away in the kitchen.
‘I like preparing smoked salmon or smoked trout and asparagus and beans that you have blanched and refreshed are always a good option.
‘Good cheese is a must – and not cheese to end the meal. I a;ways serve burrata or baby bocconcini with lots of bread to go with it.
‘Summer is also the time of really good tomatoes, which pair perfectly with the cheese and bread.’
Mr Hewitson prefers lots of large platters and he drizzles them with fig balsamic and olive oil.
His glazed ham is simple and easy to make with pantry staples you might have in your cupboard already.
The chef uses canned pineapple juice, ground sugar, and Dijon mustard for the glaze.
‘It’s quite thin to start off with but it caramelises as it cooks. You just keep basting the ham with it after you take the skin off,’ he says.
Mr Hewitson began hosting the series Healthy, Wealthy and Wise in 1992, and went on to front the programs Huey’s Cooking Adventures (1997) and Huey’s Kitchen (2010)
‘I don’t bother with anything else – it’s a really nice glaze on its own because it’s sweet but also has the tang of the mustard.’
Another annual fixture at the Hewitson household is a Thai salmon salad.
‘I make it with fresh salmon that’s barbecued a bit under with a nice Thai dressing. I put in wombok, grated carrots, and lots of fresh herbs – like coriander and mint leaves,’ he says.
When it comes to ‘controversial’ Christmas recipes – Mr Hewitson revealed he is partial to anchovies on bread.
‘I ended up with a big lot of anchovies one year and I put them on baguettes I’d brushed with olive oil and baked in the oven.
‘It was hugely popular – but my friends are anchovy eaters. We all know there’s no in between with them – you either love them or hate them.’
In terms of hosting, the chef’s ‘ultimate hospitality tip’ is to hand guests a parcel of food to take home after the meal.
When it comes to ‘controversial’ Christmas recipes – Mr Hewitson revealed that the was partial to anchovies on bread
‘It’s lovely to spend the next few days eating the leftovers, but it’s even better to wrap up the food in foil and give it to your loved ones so that they can enjoy a sandwich as well.’
He added, ‘It’s not just me being a nice man – it also saves you from all these leftovers at the back of your fridge growing green. You won’t have to feel guilty about not eating them.’
What Huey’s six pantry staples?
There are several staples he cannot go without.
‘I always have good olive oil. You also need balsamic and sherry vinegar,’ he says.
When it comes to Asian ingredients, Mr Hewitson uses four and does so on a daily basis.
‘I have soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sambal.
‘I knew a Sydney chef whose signature ingredient was lemon – she added a squeeze of lemon to everything.
‘I don’t use lemon like that, but I add sambal to everything whether it needs it or not.’
Mr Hewitson is no stranger to experimenting with food – and his unusual hacks prove it
Mr Hewitson’s love for the ingredient goes so deep that he discovered an unlikely dish for it to shine in.
‘I worked with Leggo’s for a puttanesca recipe recently.
‘The campaign was about how recipes are not set in concrete – and we often have our own variations of classic dishes in things in Australia.
‘We put pineapple on pizza, we don’t care if we upset the nonnas.
‘My addition to puttanesca is soy and sambal – and it’s incredible.’
Huey’s tips for cooking with cream and butter
Mr Hewitson, who is famous for his love and generous use of butter and cream, said that there were no replacements for maintaining the flavour they provide.
Instead, ‘moderation’ is key.
‘My mother and grandmother lived to 94 and 96 respectively and butter and cream were the two essential ingredients for them,’ he says.
Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson was a fixture on Australian TV for decades thanks to his popular afternoon cooking shows – and now he has made a surprise comeback on TikTok
‘My mum used to cook our breakfast in butter – there was no such thing as oil in our house.
‘But moderation is very important – I do add a lot of butter and cream to things, but not every dish.
‘I’m not like the French,’ he laughed.
When the chef needs to cut down on the amount of fat in a dish, he uses olive oil and a little butter.
However, he revealed that neither butter nor cream were necessary when cooking vegetables.
‘If you’re cooking stir fry vegetables, all you need is a bit of oil, some garlic, and ginger.
‘I went to Mr Wong in Sydney recently and that’s just what we had – beautiful vegetables tossed in a wok with ginger and garlic.’
Mr Hewitson, who has famously cooked with a lot of butter and cream, said that there were no replacements that maintain the flavour – but that moderation is key
Huey’s unconventional cooking tips
Mr Hewitson is no stranger to experimenting with food – and his unusual hacks prove it.
How to perfect spaghetti bolognese
When asked about what it would take to make the perfect spaghetti bolognese, the top chef suggested adding a square of dark chocolate to the sauce.
‘It’s bloody beautiful,’ he insisted.
‘I know we’re talking about Italian food, but Mexicans are keen on adding a bit of chocolate which enriches the flavour.
‘There’s no way in the world you would stand there and say it has chocolate in it. It’s just rich and lovely.’
How to perfect scrambled eggs
‘The secret of scrambled eggs is passed down generation by generation – but amateur chefs nowadays don’t know how to make it,’ he says.
‘Our mothers are time poor and no longer teach the basics. Maybe they’ll teach their kids how to make a stir fry or barbecue, but no one thinks about the basics.’
The chef shared that he always uses heavy cream in his egg batter and beats it with a fork rather than a whisk.
‘The secret to scrambled eggs is don’t overcook them.
‘Mix up the eggs with cream, and put it in a pan when the butter has just melted.
‘Keep on stirring and pulling at the curds as they form on the outside, pushing them to the centre.
‘Take them off before they’re finished, because like most food – they will continue to cook once you’ve taken them off the heat source.’
Adding cream to the batter is a trick popularised by late great chef Bill Granger, who was described as ‘the egg master of Sydney’ by the New York Times and has been credited with making scrambled eggs ‘sexy’.
His Darlinghurst café bills is celebrated for having ‘perfected’ scrambled eggs that were described by one food critic as ‘light as the breath of an angel’.
Hewitson said: ‘I think Bill’s recipe had as much cream as eggs, but I’m not going to do that. I like to put in a good slurp of cream into my eggs before beating them with a fork.’
The chef advised against using a whisk because you want to keep some air in it.
Bill Granger was described as ‘the egg master of Sydney’ by the New York Times
How to perfect mashed potatoes
‘I’m a great believer in going to your local greengrocer and asking about the best options for mash,’ he says.
The goal, he explains, is floury potatoes, not waxy.
‘Once you’ve boiled your potatoes and they’re tender, drain them well and then put them back into the pan with some milk.
‘I let the milk bubble up and then mash them, adding a small amount of cream and a small amount of butter.
‘I also like my potatoes a bit rough – there’s no need to put them through a sieve or do anything fancy.’
Mr Hewitson also adds chopped chives and spring onion to his dish.
Hewitson’s 22-year-old daughter Charlotte (right) encouraged him to start the TikTok account
How to cook the perfect steak
Mr Hewitson recommends buying your meat from a a butcher and not the supermarket.
‘Even though supermarket meat has improved dramatically in the last few years, you should still go to a butcher.
‘The other thing is taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you cook it to bring it to room temperature.’
The top chef said you should always let your steak rest for ten minutes to ‘relax’ the meat.
‘If you put steak on a grill, all the juices run to the centre because of the heat.
‘When you cut it after it comes right off the barbecue, the juices are still in the centre and will just pour out.
‘But if you leave it to relax, the juices will spread through the steak and it’ll be infinitely more tender.’
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