Richard Blais' Favorite Kitchen Tool Is Surprisingly Simple

Richard Blais, winner of Bravo's "Top Chef All-Stars," is anything but conventional. If there was a culinary award for the rara avis of celebrity chefs, Blais' name might just be there. The talented cook never shies away from a challenge and if there is no challenge, he creates one. Eater reports that when Blais made an appearance on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," he and the talk show host tried their hand at making whiskey sauerkraut because, as Blais said, "There's just not enough cocktails with sauerkraut juice." 

To call Blais eccentric is probably an understatement, however, it's that off-the-wall creativity that serves him well. Blais shared his one-step recipe for making dulce de leche with Food & Wine's Mad Genius – and it's shockingly simple. The tip Blais offers may not be a new one, but it's certainly a good reminder. He says to cook the sweetened condensed milk while it's in the can, in a simmering pot of hot water, until it turns into the decadent dulce de leche. Brilliant right? 

This simple task goes hand in hand with Blais' favorite kitchen tool, which is just as simple.

When quizzed by Food Network about the one kitchen tool he can't live without, Richard Blais shared his must-have gadget is simple. It's a spoon. That's right, nothing fancy, just a utilitarian utensil that happens to be quite useful. 

Thinking about this, Blais isn't off the mark. Eating ice cream out of a pint container would be way less fun without a spoon, as would be digging into your overnight oats, or getting just the right amount of sugar into your afternoon tea. And consider all the many other uses of the spoon: Mixing, stirring, folding, and serving are all methods we typically use a spoon to accomplish.

A spoon, be it metal, wooden, or plastic, is a very practical kitchen tool and when it comes to kitchen basics, spoons are ranked among the top 10 items you should have in your kitchen (per Bon Appétit). The two important spoons named in the outlet might surprise you: A large spoon, which is necessary for scooping, stirring, and serving, and measuring spoons for perfecting recipes.