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 by this, but is he right? If cheese really makes 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 at Triple D, Guy Fieri enjoyed linguine with Parmesan-dusted clams (an Italian dish, Scott). And the following famous dishes: seafood gratin, seafood risotto, and seafood fondue? Okay, so maybe Chef Conant really is talking about cheese, and specifically fish. For that I have Iron Chef Cat Cora making baracuda chips for fondue, and fish with marscapone in Paris in the 100th episode of Anthony Bourdain.

An interesting anecdote occurred recently. I was in Tijuana, Mexico, having dental work done, and I went to a sushi bar for lunch. Afterward, I was still craving something, so I went to a small restaurant and ordered a quesadilla. As I was eating, 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 in it? Have you ever seen Giada de Laurentis, who is more Italian than he is, dousing fish with Parmesan? He might be able to think of something he wouldn’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 of it and this article will inspire you to try your hand at fish and cheese. If you like it, please let Scott know!