BBC Saturday Kitchen fans disgusted as Michelin starred chef makes horror hygiene error
Saturday Kitchen feared they could throw up - and that those in the studio could be left with upset tummies - as a star chef brought chaos to the cookery show.
The BBC weekend show, hosted by 50-year-old chef Matt Tebbutt, saw chef Tong Chee Hwee enter the kitchen to rustle up a number of impressive dishes.
Former Hakkasan chef Tong Chee started many viewers as he went about stuffing the bird as he prepared to cook it in the oven. Morning TV fans watched on as he studded the duck with ginger and spring onion, then stitched the bird up and sealed the skin with boiling water.
He then grabbed a dish cloth to dry the skin of the meat - which at this stage was still very much raw and uncooked. He then left the dishcloth on top of the kitchen counter - and reached for it later to dry his hands in between preparing ingredients for other recipes, and he later placed some cooked duck on top of the counter surface where the cloth that had been used to dry off the wet raw meat.
The haphazard approach to cooking left many at home felling nauseous. One alarmed viewer took to X to express their shock over the hygiene slip up - exclaiming: "Chef used same teatowel to dry off duck!"
Another typed: "Wipe his hands, then same one to pick up cooked duck!! Hygiene on this program is disgusting!! Running hands under tap with no use of soap is NOT washing hands, then using pre used teatowel to dry #SaturdayKitchen." And a further fan remarked: "Pat the raw [duck] down with a tea towel, then put the towel on the worktop," alongside a vomit face emoji.
Other fans were impressed by Tong Chee's cooking regardless - and vowed to try to replicate his peking duck. One enthusiastic viewer wrote on X: "I think I want to go to his restaurant!! One of my most memorable eating experiences was at a Peking duck restaurant in Beijing! Every course was duck served in different ways."
The official Saturday Kitchen account also highlighted the recipe, writing: "If you’ve been looking for the ultimate at-home peking duck recipe, THIS. IS. IT @cheftongcheehwee is making the legendary peking duck that he serves up at @gouqilondon." And the BBC website gives a step by step guide on how to prepare the dish - which takes around two hours to make - writing: "Rich, sweet and salty, make your own Peking duck this weekend with this simple method. Serve with Chinese-style pancakes and let everybody help themselves."
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