Finish Kate Hibbert's goat's cheese starter from Come Dine With Me Portsmouth with a few drops of sesame or olive oil and serve Serves 6 Ingredients
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Put the goat’s cheese on a board and wrap each slice fully with Parma ham. 2. Place the cheese on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and season with a little salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Drizzle with 2 tsp sesame or olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt. 3. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan for 3-5 minutes until golden brown, turning regularly. Arrange the rocket and pear slices or six plates. Scatter over the toasted walnuts. 4. Carefully place a goat's cheese on top of each pile of salad and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Finish with a few drops of sesame or olive oil and serve. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold.
20 Comments
The unmistakable voice behind the Come Dine With Me camera – Dave Lamb – tells Gina Schauffer what he really thinks of the cult show that highlights dinner party disasters across the country
Everyone tells me my voice is different from what I do on the programme. It’s become more and more camp and ridiculous... I get overexcited now. But if you listen to the earlier episodes, it’s really quite flat and 'normal'. They, quite rightly, reined me in early on, because if you go from nought to 60 straight away it's a bit too much! So we've gradually worked our way up. The difference between the early series and now is marked.
I read from a script, but I'm allowed to improvise around the script. So I watch it, and if something occurs to me to say that’s not on the script I just say it. And the producer will then either go 'alright we’ll keep that' or we go back and do what's meant to be on the page. I watch it [the show] for the first time, I sight read the script and then do it [the voiceover], so I'm reacting as an audience member. I watch it like a viewer, and that's kind of the feel we go for. It tends to come across as very fresh. Yes, I think that's why, because I never know who's going to win; I kind of discover it as it goes along. I’ll either read it [the script] or - because I’m watching and listening as I go along - if I react differently, I’ll try something different and the producer will either say 'OK we’ll go with that' or 'get back in there and stop swearing' which is normally what happens! There’s some real filth on the cutting room floor... It's good fun, and if you can have a laugh doing it, that's part of the job really.
I really warm to people; you really take an instant like or dislike to people as you’re doing it. It’s a difficult one, because you've got to be aware of what the viewers are going to be thinking and you don’t want to go against that, so you don’t want to be nasty if no-one's deserved it. Quite often, the producers have spent 5 days with these people and some of them have got really hacked off with some of these guys over the 5 days, so when they come to write the scripts at the end, they're already furious on day 1. So I come into it and go 'why are we so angry with this person, we don’t know who they are'! Or sometimes I feel we can go for people when they’ve been lovely to them.
Not that I've been told of, but I do feel like they might protect me from things like that! The producers might have had to wrestle with some angry contestants on occasion, so they try to keep all that away from me.
No I’m not, I'm rubbish! My wife is a qualified chef, so I’ve gone into my shell as a chef since we've been married, because she really won’t hold back criticising my food. The first thing I did was cook her a stroganoff – first time we had a date – and she just literally had two mouthfuls and went 'no, er, I don't think so'. So this is very cathartic, watching other people cook nearly as badly as me.
I sometimes phone her for pronunciation of certain foods – not so much now, but in the early series. I mean more often than not the producers cover it – they write it out phonetically across the script, so that there's no confusion.
I don't think that's happened. The one when someone was sick; they had to run from the table to be sick after they had a raw poached egg – that sticks in my mind. That’s quite a bad dinner party when your guests actually have to run to the loo, with cameraman following them down the corridor! But Preston, famously, was the maddest week of television I’ve ever seen. As the only sane person in the week put it ‘you've chosen the four maddest people in Preston and put them in a room together'. And that’s exactly what it was like. They were crazy; the one woman Dawn not only ran away from a dinner party the night before – she jumped over the back fence and her husband was waiting for her in the car – but then on her night, she didn't cook. She cooked the starter and then she went 'oh you know what, I’m a bit tired' and went to bed! And they were all left sitting there with a camera crew, and had to cook their own mains!
I think it's been on for about four or five years. I just went for an audition; they'd recorded a pilot and Channel 4 said the voiceover was a bit formal and sensible, so they auditioned people to be a bit more light hearted – without being too over the top. I think if I’d auditioned for it with how I do it now, I wouldn't have got the job. They would’ve gone 'that's far too big, you can't do it like that'! But they offered it to me and I'm really glad I took it. It’s a really watchable format. I often miss my cues doing the voiceover just by watching it. It's so easy to get wrapped up in it. People do get passionate about the show. And they don't like cheating! These tactical markings are the scourge of the reality TV industry...
It's not showing any signs of wearing thin. It's getting better and better.
I think people just seem to be getting more and more bonkers! And that's brilliant. They choose people really well – it's a really good melting pot and it just works so well.
Well we eat very well at home, because my wife's a chef. I actually think we're having mallard at the weekend! [Laughs] I like everything really. But I quite often think on the show 'ooh that looks nice' or 'God, that looks appalling'. I do feel sorry for people who have to eat something they really hate, because there is nothing worse than if you can't abide the taste of something and having to force it down. Interestingly, there are more and more vegetarians coming on the show who are cooking meat, although they're not eating it themselves.
I had a little part in Doc Martin, because I’m an actor too – about four years ago. I'm doing Moving Wallpaper at the moment; I play one of the writers. I was the token white bloke in Goodness Gracious Me, the Asian comedy sketch show, so I played all the white parts – except the most famous one, 'Going for an English'. But I did do that in Wembley Arena, for the Amnesty International gig – which was terrifying. I used to be in a sketch show called The Cheese Shop, we were all doing the Edinburgh Festival about the same time – The League of Gentlemen, the Mighty Boosh, Armstrong and Miller – and then they all became enormous!
I'm training for the London Marathon at the moment – that’s my thing. I’m 40 this year and you want to just tick off one of those things and go 'I've done it'. It's been a slow burner; it's crept over me suddenly – for years I'd been comfortable with the fact that I'd never have to run a marathon, and then gradually, at 38, in the back of my head a little idea came and I thought 'oh God, I'm going to have to do it'. (Support Dave Lamb's London Marathon efforts at www.justgiving/davelamb1.) Cass Walia spiced up her dinner party with this tasty chicken curry from Come Dine With Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan and fry the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies until softened and lightly browned. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly coloured on all sides. 2. Stir the chopped fresh and canned tomatoes into the pan and pour over the water. Sprinkle all the spices over and add the salt. Stir well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, then cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally. 3. Towards the end of the cooking time, add a little extra water if the sauce becomes too dry. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve the curry with yogurt, grated cucumber and freshly made roti bread if possible. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. Cass Walia cooked up the taste of Malaysia with this spicy mushroom starter in Come Dine With Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
1. Put the mushrooms in a large frying pan and cook over a medium to high heat for 4-5 minutes until all the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Tip onto a plate and set aside. 2. Return the pan to the heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, stir in the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly until softened and golden brown. Season with the lemon juice and sizzle for a few seconds more. 3. Stir in the coconut milk, turmeric and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the coconut milk is reduced to a thick sauce. Return the cooked mushrooms to the pan and stir in the tomatoes. Cook together for 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with warm Indian breads, such as paranthas. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. Simon Green kept his guests sweet with these shortbread towers in Come Dine With Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
1. To make the shortbread, put the butter, icing sugar, rice flour and plain flour into a food processor. Blend until a ball is formed, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until around 5mm thick. Cut into 9 cm rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Prick with a fork and bake for 10-12 minutes until pale and crisp. Leave to cool on the tray. 3. Sprinkle roughly a third of the strawberries with sugar in a bowl and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blend until as smooth as possible. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and stir in another third of the strawberries, cut into small pieces. Cut the remaining strawberries in half. 4. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until thick. Take a shortbread biscuit and pipe or spoon some of the cream on top. Place in the centre of a dessert plate. Put halved strawberries around the edge and the strawberry sauce into the centre. Put a second shortcake on top and repeat the method ending with a third shortcake biscuit. 5. Continue until you have made four strawberry stacks on four plates. Sprinkle with sifted icing sugar and serve. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. It was a meaty main for Simon Green with this luscious lamb recipe in Come Dine With Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6. To prepare the risotto, melt the butter and oil together in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. 2. Score the lamb fat and season with salt and pepper. Put the lamb on a baking tray. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until done to taste. 3. When the onions are softened, stir in the rice and cook for a minute, stirring until well coated with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until absorbed. Gradually add the hot vegetable stock, just a ladleful at a time, and cook until absorbed before adding more. Stir well between each addition. Cook the rice for about 18 minutes until just tender and creamy. 4. Next, add the peas and vermouth. Cook for 1 minute until the peas are hot then stir in crème fraiche and Parmesan. When the cheese has melted, season the risotto to taste, stir in the mint and remove from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside. 5. Rest the lamb, covered with foil for about 5 minutes, then carve into cutlets. 6. To make the sauce, put the redcurrant jelly, stock and port in a saucepan and simmer until well reduced and syrupy. Add the mint leaves and season to taste. 7. Spoon the risotto onto four warmed plates, top with lamb cutlets and spoon over the redcurrant sauce. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and serve. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. Simon Green hoped this sophisticated starter would get his party off to a flying start in Come Dine With Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Put the bacon on a small baking tray and cook in the centre of the oven until golden and crisp. 2. Bring a large pan a third full of water to the boil and add the asparagus. Return to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a very gentle simmer. Break the quail's eggs into the pan one at a time and remove from the heat. Set aside for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Note: This recipe contains raw eggs 3. While the asparagus and eggs are cooking, melt the butter in a third pan. Put the egg yolks in a food processor with the lemon juice and seasoning. Blend until smooth then slowly add the hot butter in a steady stream with the motor running until the sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning to taste. 4. Drain the asparagus and divide between four warmed plates. Lift the quail's eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place two on top of each pile of asparagus. Spoon the hollandaise sauce on top and finish with bacon. Serve. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. Andrea Maddocks cooked up a taste of Newcastle with these Geordie cakes in Come Dine with Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
2. Rub a flat griddle or large non-stick frying pan with the oil and heat over a medium-high heat. Cook the hinnies on each side until golden brown and serve hot. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. Andrea Maddocks cooked up a Geordie version of a seaside supper in Come Dine With Me Blackpool
Serves 2 Ingredients
1. To make the pea puree, melt half the butter in a small pan until foamy and add the onion, peas, sugar, stock and remaining butter. Cover closely with a disc of greaseproof paper and cook gently for 5 minutes. 2. Add the mint leaves and cream. Cook gently for 2 minutes more then remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until as smooth as possible. Season with salt and pepper. 3. While the peas are cooking, heat a non-stick frying pan over a very high heat. Rub the scallops on both sides with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook in the hot pan for about 1½ minutes on each side. Squeeze over a little lemon juice. 4. Spoon the pea puree onto four warmed plates and top with the hot scallops. Add lemon wedges and serve. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. Liam Bird broke his no dessert rule to serve his guests this easy crème brulee in Come Dine With Me Blackpool Serves 4 Ingredients
1. Put the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla essence in a large measuring jug or bowl and beat until smooth. 2. Heat the cream in a saucepan until on the point of boiling. Stir into the egg mixture then return to the pan and cook very gently for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth. 3. Divide the raspberries between six small ramekins and pour over the vanilla custard. Put on a tray, cover with cling film and chill for 6-8 hours until set. 4. When ready to serve, sprinkle the custards with sugar and caramelise with a cook's blow torch until golden and melted. Serve as soon as the caramel hardens. Please note this recipe is the contestant's own and has not been tested professionally. Like the Come Dine With Me contestants, you could be creating a culinary delight or dining disaster, so switch on your ovens and be bold. |
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