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Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson has been a fixture on Australian daytime television for decades and now, after making a triumphant return on TikTok, the celebrity cook is back to share his top cooking secrets, including the top mistakes that fans” always” commit.
Hewitson has seen his fair share of culinary mishaps over the years, and now he’s sharing his hard-earned wisdom to help home cooks avoid common mistakes.
From the importance of prep work to avoiding the dreaded overcooked vegetables, Hewitson didn’t hold back when speaking to FEMAIL.
The beloved chef began hosting the series Healthy, Wealthy and Wise in 1992 and later headlined the shows Huey’s Cooking Adventures (1997) and Huey’s Kitchen (2010).
Her last new cooking episode aired free-to-air in 2014, after which The New Zealand chef, based in Melbourne, kept a low profile.
But that all changed in early 2024, when the chef’s 22-year-old daughter, Charlotte, encouraged him to start posting on TikTok, and within days, he was racking up hundreds of thousands of views with videos that struck a nostalgic chord among fans.
The 75-year-old told FEMAIL he felt “humbled” by the instant success, adding that his philosophy on TikTok is no different to when he was on TV: inspiring and teaching others how to cook.
For Hewitson, the number one mistake amateur chefs make is not preparing properly before they start cooking.
Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson was a fixture on Australian television for decades thanks to his popular afternoon cooking shows.
Lay out all the ingredients and utensils before you begin.
“Always read the recipe exactly unless you’ve made it a thousand times,” she explained.
“Have everything prepared before you start: all the ingredients and equipment on the bench in the order you will use them.”
He is convinced that skipping this step can lead to chaos in the kitchen.
‘One of the big mistakes people make is that they suddenly think, ‘Oh, I need this!’ and runs to the cupboard while something is overcooking.
‘Or they walk into the pantry and realize they don’t even have that ingredient. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
How to cook vegetables the right way
When it comes to vegetables, Mr. Hewitson is a firm believer in simple but effective techniques to preserve flavor and nutrients.
When it comes to vegetables, Mr. Hewitson is a firm believer in simple but effective techniques to preserve flavor and nutrients.
‘If you are boiling green vegetables, use a large pot of well-salted, rapidly boiling water.
“Toss in the vegetables and the good stuff is instantly sealed.”
She told how her mother used to make the mistake of putting vegetables in cold water, which took away all their vitality and flavor.
‘He put these wonderful vegetables from my father’s garden in a small pot of cold water.
‘By the time he thought they were done, the water was bright green and the vegetables had no flavor left.
“Most mothers did that in the past, but it’s something we should avoid now.”
Always buy fish from a fishmonger.
Buying the best ingredients is another rule of thumb for Me Hewitson, especially when it comes to seafood.
Buying the best ingredients is another rule of thumb for Me Hewitson, especially when it comes to seafood.
“If you buy fish, get it from a fishmonger, not a supermarket,” he advises.
‘And if you go to the market, bring a cold container or an esky with ice packs so the fish stays fresh.
“Too many people walk around the market for 30 minutes with fish in a bag, and when they get home, it’s not as fresh as it should be.”
He also shared a pro tip on choosing fresh seafood: ‘Fish should not smell bad. When it smells like the sea, it’s already too late.
Don’t try new recipes on dinner guests.
For those trying new dishes, Hewitson insists on following the recipe the first time.
‘The first time you make a recipe, follow it exactly. There are no variations,’ he said.
‘It is necessary to understand what the objective of the chef or the recipe book was. After that, you can modify it and do your thing.”
For those trying new dishes, Hewitson insists on following the recipe the first time.
And one of his biggest hobbies? Home cooks testing elaborate dinner dishes without testing.
‘Don’t try one of those fancy recipes you’ve read about in Gourmet Traveler at a dinner party. Try it first with your family. If it’s a disaster, they are the ones who will forgive you.
He recalled a friend’s failed attempt to impress guests with a croquembouche: “They said, ‘Oh, we made croquembouche for the first time at a dinner party.’
‘I asked him how it went and of course it was a disaster. That’s not the time to try something so ambitious!’