Top chef who has cooked for Justin Bieber shares the FIVE biggest mistakes home cooks make - and the bizarre ingredient he adds to his spaghetti bolognese
- Chef Louis Tikaram has cooked for the likes of Justin Bieber and Stevie Wonder
- He returned home following a successful career in LA with his restaurant EP & LP
- The Australian-born chef has shared his culinary secrets - and go-to ingredients
Australian top chef Louis Tikaram who has cooked for the likes of Justin Bieber and Stevie Wonder has shared his culinary secrets - and the unusual ingredient he adds to his spaghetti bolognese.
The 33-year-old - who teamed up with Jacob's Creek for the 'Bring Your Australian' campaign - has returned home following a successful career in LA with his restaurant EP & LP in West Hollywood.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the 33-year-old father revealed the biggest mistakes home cooks make, the top five ingredients every household needs and his least favourite products to use in the kitchen.
Australian top chef Louis Tikaram (pictured) who has cooked for the likes of Justin Bieber and Stevie Wonder has shared his culinary secrets
Tikaram revealed the biggest mistakes home cooks make - including following recipes too closely and using the wrong oil for cooking (stock images)
'I think the number one mistake home cooks make is following recipes too closely. Cooking is very personal so feel free to add your own touch and have a bit of fun with it,' Tikaram told Daily Mail Australia.
The father - who was raised on a 110-acre cattle farm in Mullumbimby on the coast of New South Wales - said another error was not preparing meat correctly before cooking.
'Another mistake is not tempering meat before cooking and also not letting meat rest properly before slicing and serving it,' Tikaram said.
'To get an even cook you should temper your meat at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking and then rest your meat for at least 10 minutes to ensure it remains juicy and doesn't bleed on the plate.'
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The 33-year-old - who teamed up with Jacob's Creek for the 'Bring Your Australian' campaign - has returned home following a successful career in LA with his restaurant EP & LP in Hollywood
He said another thing amateur cooks do is never making enough food for leftovers or store away in the freezer for another meal.
'This is always a common mistake people make, not realising most meals can be frozen and enjoyed at a later date,' Tikaram said.
When eating dinner, Tikaram said you should always have your favourite bottle of wine on hand to enjoy along with your meal.
'Not only does wine enhance the flavour of your dish, but it's also nice to bring people together and share a bottle with your loved ones over a beautiful meal. That's the Aussie spirit,' he said.
Finally, he said people are using the wrong type of oil for cooking.
'Home cooks are using olive oil incorrectly,' he said.
'Most people use olive oil for frying though it has a very low heating point and usually just burns. A better option is vegetable or canola oil with a more neutral flavour and higher cooking temp.'
When it comes to cooking his favourite classic dish, Tikaram said the secret ingredient he uses to make his spaghetti bolognese taste amazing every time is oyster sauce
The 33-year-old father revealed the biggest mistakes home cooks make, the top five ingredients every household needs and his least favourite products to use in the kitchen
When it comes to cooking his favourite classic dish, Tikaram said the secret ingredient he uses to make his spaghetti bolognese taste amazing every time is oyster sauce.
'While cooking I add a bit of oyster sauce to help boost the umami and make it super tasty,' Tikaram said.
To enhance flavours in any dish, Tikaram revealed his go-to ingredients.
'I use oyster sauce, fish sauce and kombu seaweed extract to boost flavours in dishes because all are umami rich and add a great favour,' he said.
Tikaram has since returned to Australian shores so he can run 'Stanley' - a Chinese restaurant opening at the hot Howard Smith Wharves in regional Brisbane.
'I enjoyed the fast pace of the USA bringing my Aussie spirit and flavours to Hollywood,' Tikaram said.
'But after five years, I really started to miss Australian produce, seafood and meat which I think is the best in the world.
'So, I am excited to now come home and not only be back among the best ingredients, staff and restaurateurs, but to also be among the infectious energy of other life-loving Australians. It's what makes us so unique.'
Who is Louis Tikaram?
Chef Louis Tikaram was raised on a 110-acre cattle farm in Mullumbimby, on the coast of New South Wales in Australia.
Born to a father of Chinese, Fijian and Indian descent, and a mother of Irish and Scottish heritage, Tikaram said he was surrounded by delicious food growing up.
'My dad was famous for his curries during my childhood and a dinner party invite was a hot ticket in this small town. At an early age I began exploring my multicultural heritage through food. I would stand in the kitchen alongside my Father, as we made curries together passed down from my grandma,' he said.
After graduating from high school, Tikaram packed up his life and moved 12 hours south of Sydney in the hope of pursuing his dream as a chef.
He headed to Longrain restaurant in Sydney where he begged top chef Martin Boetz for a job in the kitchen.
'At 18, I made it - I wish I could tell you a fairy tale story of how easy it was to go from washing dishes in a small country town to working as a first year apprentice on the line of one of the busiest restaurants in Sydney,' he said.
'For a whole year, I received deliveries, strained stocks and made curry paste in a room out the back of the kitchen no bigger than a single bedroom.
'No matter what though, this was a dream came true. This is what is so Australian to me - determination, passion, resilience and dedication. It wasn't handed to me on the first go but I never took no for an answer.'
At the age of 25, Boetz handpicked him to take over as executive chef.
Eventually, Tikaram was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run the kitchen at E.P.& L.P. in West Hollywood.
Earlier this year, Tikaram decided to move back home to Australia.
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