Ep 61. Macclesfield - Dave
Come Dine With Me is a popular cooking-themed reality show that pits five amateur chefs against each other in a competition to create the best dinner party. In each episode, the contestants take turns hosting dinner parties at their homes, where they prepare a three-course meal and entertain their fellow competitors. The other contestants rate each meal, and the chef with the highest score at the end of the week wins a cash prize.
In season 12 episode 61, we meet Dave, a 35-year-old financial advisor from Macclesfield, a market town in Cheshire, England. Dave is a keen home cook with a passion for fusion cuisine, and he's determined to impress his fellow contestants with his creative dishes.
The episode kicks off with Dave welcoming his guests to his home, a modern townhouse in a leafy suburb of Macclesfield. He's decorated the dining room with a stylish black and white theme, and he's laid out an impressive spread of canapes, including mini lamb koftas and smoked salmon blinis. The other contestants seem suitably impressed, and they settle in for a night of culinary adventure.
For his starter, Dave serves up a fusion dish of Thai-inspired fishcakes with a sticky plum sauce. The fishcakes are perfectly cooked, with a crispy exterior and a moist, fragrant interior that's packed with herbs and spices. The plum sauce provides a sweet and tangy counterpoint to the savoury fishcakes, and the other contestants are unanimous in their praise for Dave's culinary skills.
Next up is the main course, which is a Moroccan-style lamb tagine with a couscous salad. The tagine is slow-cooked to perfection, with tender lamb that falls off the bone and a rich, flavourful sauce that's spiced with cumin, coriander and cinnamon. The couscous salad provides a refreshing contrast to the hearty tagine, with juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley and tangy feta cheese. The contestants are blown away by the complexity and depth of flavour in the dish, and they praise Dave for his bold use of spices and ingredients.
For dessert, Dave serves up a playful take on a classic British pudding, with his apple crumble cheesecake. The cheesecake combines the creamy goodness of cheesecake with the crunchy, comforting texture of apple crumble, and it's served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The other contestants are impressed with Dave's expert balancing of sweet and sour flavours, and they remark on the cleverness of the dish.
As the night draws to a close, the contestants give their scores and feedback to Dave, and they praise him for his creativity, attention to detail, and passion for fusion cuisine. Though there are a few minor criticisms about the portion sizes and service, the overall consensus is that Dave has put on an impressive dinner party, and he's set the bar high for the other contestants to follow.
Overall, season 12 episode 61 of Come Dine With Me is a masterclass in creative cooking, as Dave shows off his skills in fusion cuisine and wows his fellow contestants with a dazzling array of dishes. From the Thai-inspired fishcakes to the Moroccan-style lamb tagine and the playful apple crumble cheesecake, Dave proves himself to be a chef to watch, and the other contestants are left feeling inspired and challenged by his culinary genius.
