Brooklyn Beckham's latest cooking video has sparked a wave of criticism after he used seawater collected from the back of a superyacht to boil pasta. The amateur chef re-shared a viral 'tomato pasta' recipe on TikTok, where he filled a pan with ocean water instead of using salted tap water.
In the clip, Brooklyn says, "Of course we get some pasta water," as he collects the seawater. He then uses it to cook the pasta while preparing a simple sauce with cherry tomatoes, garlic, his own brand Cloud 23 hot sauce, and a garnish of cheese and basil.
Fans Question Hygiene and Taste
While Brooklyn is no stranger to online backlash for his simple recipes, this time fans focused on the hygiene risks. One commentator joked, "Is boat exhaust the secret ingredient?" Another wrote, "Pasta water with a hint of burnt boat fuel please sir."
Others questioned the practicality: "Hi, quick question. I haven't got the sea in my back Garden. Will tap water do?" Another fan commented, "It looks delicious Brooklyn, but the water is a joke right?" A fourth added, "Mmmmmh, motor oil pasta water."
Royal Chef Weighs In
This isn't the first time Brooklyn has faced criticism for this recipe. Last August, Queen Elizabeth's royal chef mocked the idea, telling Heart Bingo, "If you suggested this to an Italian I think they would be horrified. To be honest, it's ridiculous."
The chef warned, "If you're cooking in sea water it's going to be much saltier than you need for pasta. It's going to have bacteria, viruses, all sorts of pollutants in there. It's not something anyone should do at home." He advised using "fresh boiling water on a rolling boil" with a pinch of salt.
Past Culinary Controversies
Brooklyn has previously been roasted for other dishes. He faced backlash for adding guanciale to a carbonara, with one fan commenting, "As an Italian.. no. That cheek is burnt." Brooklyn defended himself, saying, "Guanciale has a lot of sugar in and that's why it's darker. I slow cooked it so it's not burned."
Italian chef Aldo Zilli also criticized him, saying, "Nowadays every celebrity is jumping on the cooking bandwagon. Burning guanciale would cause it to become bitter, hard and make the carbonara taste terrible – maybe he needs a masterclass from Aldo Zilli! Stop changing recipes!"
Brooklyn has also been slammed for serving blackened pizza in a clip promoting his hot sauce and for being out of touch when he added truffle to a simple pasta dish.
