The Kitchen Tool Ree Drummond Can't Live Without

Most of us would embrace just about any cooking tip Ree Drummond has to offer, such as preparing and measuring all of your ingredients ahead of time, and creating flaky perfection for salmon by placing the fish in the oven before preheating it. So, when The Pioneer Woman shares her MVP of kitchen tools with fans, we pay attention, especially when she suggests not using it in the intended way. In fact, her prized kitchen tool — a fish spatula — never even touches fish in her household. 

If you're wondering what a fish spatula is, the cooking and baking maven explained to Today that the tool features a slotted paddle with a sturdy handle that's angled and has quite a sharp edge, almost like a knife. While it's nimble enough to scoop up fragile eggs, it's also far from flimsy, making it a solid match for thick cuts of meat. As Drummond shared, "I use it for pretty much anything because of how sharp and precise it is." 

Ree Drummond is not the first cooking enthusiast or expert to find the fish spatula to be an all-purpose solution to many potential stovetop pratfalls. Since the edge of the fish spatula is sharp, it can easily maneuver under fragile foods, such as crepes or omelets, while easily supporting their delicate textures. Given the fish spatula's sturdy handle, it also won't wimp out when it comes to tackling (or turning) more significant sustenance such as sirloin steak, a beefy burger, or a cut of tuna.

Beyond its versatility for both dainty dishes (it can even remove freshly baked cookies from a baking sheet) and hefty haute cuisine, the fish spatula has an additional benefit: It can drain oil or water like a slotted spoon. This is due to its tines being spaced more generously apart than traditional kitchen spatulas.

Drummond has found that the tool works well to prevent oil splashes when deep frying foods like potatoes, too, helping to lower the spuds into the oil rather than letting them go kerplunk. The implement would also pair well with cooking projects such as removing tender two-ingredient gnocchi from boiling water.

If you're using a fish spatula for a range of tasks, from fixing fried eggs to wiggling underneath oven-hot chocolate chip cookies, and yes even flipping fish, you may want to know how to best maintain the tool so it's always ready.

How to care for your new kitchen BFF will first depend on what it's made of. Many fish spatulas feature a stainless steel blade, and a plastic or wooden handle. If the handle is plastic, the top rack of the dishwasher should be safe for routine washing. A wooden handle may fare better with hand-washing. But, always be sure to read the tool's care instructions first to determine if a trip through a dishwasher cycle would be detrimental in either case. 

You may discover that hand-washing your beloved gadget is preferable anyway to maintain its longevity, and also to get a truly good cleaning, especially if you've been working with flaky fish. Just beware of avoiding injuries on the sharp edge while scrubbing the spatula in sudsy water.

There is an exception for fish spatulas made with a silicone edge, an option favored by some cooks because it works well with stainless steel pots and pans. Cleaning this multi-material tool can be tricky too, since grease may cling to its surface. To do so, use super hot water to remove stubborn grease.