5 things 'Iron Chef' Michael Symon always has in his fridge

michael symon cheese
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What you find in someone's fridge can say a lot about a person and their cooking style.

Insider spoke to celebrity chef and "Iron Chef" star Michael Symon about his recent partnership with Diplomático Rum, his go-to summer cocktails, and what the chef has on hand in his fridge at all times.

Symon recommended that home cooks always have a bowl of fresh citrus for cocktail making or cooking.

"I always have a lot of citrus in my fridge, and there's always a pretty good amount of fresh herbs," Symon told Insider. "That's especially true this time of year when I have the garden ripping. I always have a lot of herbs on hand."

Symon says eggs are essential in his fridge, but not just for the morning

eggs substitute

"You need them for so many things, way beyond breakfast," Symon told Insider.

Eggs can be used to help bread things, make pasta sauces, and even add a new element to cocktails.

"Egg whites are one of those underutilized ingredients that really can make drinks interesting," he said.

Symon also laughed about how he and his wife, Liz Shanahan, have a slight obsession with cheese, from Gouda to Brie

cheese in store
Cheese on shelves in a store. Aleksandra Tregubovich/Shutterstock

"This is me just as much as it is Liz, but we always have lots of cheese," he said. "Sometimes I think we're a cheese store. We have so much cheese. If people came over, we could actually do a cheese tasting."

When asked about whether he's a fan of charcuterie boards, Symon said he actually cures a lot of his own meat alongside Shanahan and his culinary director, Katie Pickens. He added that they all "love different types of jams."

"Typically, there's a lot of chutney or jam situations around," he said.

Symon also revealed there's always an 'unusual amount of mustards' in his fridge

mustard

"That's on me," he laughed. "Liz has a part in it, but when you open the door of our fridge - any kind of mustard you could ever imagine, I have it."

Read the original article on Insider