This Is The Weirdest Item In Richard Blais' Fridge

Richard Blais is hardly known for going the traditional route when it comes to his cooking. The spiky-haired chef is famous for implementing some out-of-the-ordinary techniques into his dishes with the help of some ingredients that might sound more fitting for a chemistry lab rather than a kitchen. During his first stint on Top Chef back in 2008 (via IMDb), for example, Blais set himself apart from other contestants with his use of liquid nitrogen, which Wonder How To describes as a method of instantly freezing ingredients.

Fast forward nearly 13 years, the now 49-year-old is still cranking out unique dishes, many of which were inspired by the diet and lifestyle changes he underwent a few years ago that led him to lose more than 60 pounds and gain an affinity for running marathons, according to CNN. Blais told Today that one of his weight loss tricks was trading certain ingredients in recipes for healthier options, such as the use of dried dates or raisins as a sweetener rather than sugar. The Top Chef: All Stars winner also tries to go meatless at least one day a week, and suggests throwing eggplant or carrots on the grill instead of a burger.

The combination of his healthier lifestyle and love of molecular gastronomy likely makes for a one-of-a-kind shopping list for Richard Blais, who once told Food & Wine that all pantries need to be stocked with "duck fat, gellan gum, and liquid nitrogen."

With a list of pantry staples like that, the contents of Blais' refrigerator should hardly be shocking to anybody, right? Think again. The celebrity chef revealed to Food Network that the strangest item in his own refrigerator isn't even a food item at all, but rather a quick-fix for his children, Riley and Embry, in the case of an accidental fall.

"Something we call 'boo-boo sheep,'" Blais said when asked by Food Network about the "weirdest" thing in his refrigerator at home. "It's a stuffed lamb with ice cubes for kids' bumps and bruises. So that's pretty odd."

While Blais surely has a few tricks up his sleeve to put together a dish with similar qualities as that of a children's ice pack (again, he has a love of all things molecular gastronomy), don't expect to see such a dish on the menu at his new restaurant, Ember & Rye. The joint, which the chef described to Eater as "not your parents' country club-meets-steakhouse," is located in the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California, and opened on March 18 (via The San Diego Union-Tribune).