According to Gino D'Acampo!

I just overheard him saying this on TV.

Is he correct???

Surely you just do whatever tastes good to you? There are no rules on these things

Why not?

I overheard him say that when he was studying to be a chef (I guess in Italy?) that his mentor told him that in a recipe you only ever need the taste of onion or garlic never both at the same time as it is too overpowering.

Ah, but it smells delicious frying onion and garlic together!

If somebody tells you not to it's a great incentive to do it

I start nearly everything off by frying onions and garlic, especially curries. My chicken curry recipe:


1 large onion
6 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
50g ginger , roughly chopped
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
5cm cinnamon stick
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp caster sugar
400g can chopped tomatoes
8 chicken thighs , skinned, boneless (about 800g)
250ml hot chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped coriande

That sounds like his mentor's own special rule. Italy didn't invent garlic or onions.

Load of BS. If your onion makes a recipe too overpowering, you're doing something wrong. Onion should caramelise and sweeten over time. You cook and simmer for ages to bring the flavours out, it mixes with the other ingredients. Garlic makes an entirely different stance on the dish. I'm sorry but his recipes don't seem that great anyway, I saw the dish he made on This Morning, and the melted Parmesan didn't look very cheesy, I like gooey yet crispy cheese on mine (and loads of it!), mozzarella is better for an authentic pasta bake, maybe with Parmesan too, I use Double Gloucester but his pizza looked good...

That sounds good I might make that tonight have you tried putting coriander seeds in too? In my curries, I like to get a handful of them, and just use the back of the knife to break them, chuck them in with the rest of the spices and herbs, they add a nice flavour, I can't describe it, it's nutty and just adds a bite. I also make a mean pilau rice I'm going to try and master naan bread, especially keema, and onion bahjis. My mum's friend makes Jamaican curries and goes to Liverpool to get all the spices, in huge bags, and uses alsorts. They are very hot, just have flavour too, it is initially very hot, then it's spicy and the rich flavours come out. The idea is, you serve a yoghurt based sauce next to your rice, as this cools the palette. I prefer Indian ones though.

There isn't an Italian sauce I don't start off with onions and garlic!

the man`s a fool.

IMO, Italian cooking is the most fun, both to make and to eat, but there are a number of "celebrity" Italian chefs that seem to talk a lot of rubbish.
Gino D'Acampo is top of that list.

Of course it's possible to make the taste of onion and garlic too overpowering in a specific recipe, but that's usually a sign that you've bolloxed it up, and not the fault of the ingredients.
I suspect this is the problem that Mr D'Acampo has encountered!

If I'm using garlic (which I do most days) I ALWAYS put onion in with it

well if that's the case then it explains why I usually find food in Italian restaurants quite bland then.

He's a tit.

Same goes for those chefs who stick their noses up at seafood and cheese.
Erm... Lobster Thermidor anyone? Or how about a nice fish pie with cheesey mash?

I always add onion and garlic, well to a lot of my dishes. Won't be stopping now!

I wouldn't listen to what he says. He is very patronising and controlling.

He is also sexist towards women and does not see them as equals.

He also said that the Romans made gnocci but there were no potatoes in Europe then.

I use his recipe for bolognese but I've always added garlic. It was only today when I checked it I noticed that he doesn't use garlic... My bolognese is delish with garlic and onion

As he is someone who went to prison for 2 years for burglary and has never had his own restaurant, I'll ignore his advice

As he's recommending avoiding garlic and onions together, I'll ignore his advice.

I do like Gino for obvious reasons (a lot of females will understand where I am coming from lol) but i must admit a few of his recipes i've tried i've found very bland!

I've made a spag bol tonight. Two large onions, a whole bulb of chopped garlic and even the tomato purée has garlic in it.

↑↑can never have too much garlic↑↑

Yes, I always consider someone's criminal record before taking cooking advice.