What would be your 'Come Dine With Me' winning menu?

[2seas]

I'm sure everyone has seen the program. So, what would be your winning starter/main/desert of choice?

[Pixel-Snapper]

Whatever you did the editing would make you out to be tt-ish anyway!

Grates me to the bone that program.

[Pferdestarke]

It doesn't matter what you cook - there's always some tt who marks you down because they don't like prawns/cod/beef/salad/chilli etc etc.

Why people can't judge on cooking ability over personal taste beats me!

Sorry, that doesn't answer your question.

A fun amuse bouche - Some devilled whitebait on cocktail sticks with a home made mayonnaise

A rich tomato and basil soup with pan fried scallops

Braised chaps, slow cooked belly, pan-fried loin, Marsala reduction, a purée, some greens and a crunchy potato something or other.

Home made vanilla and ginger ice cream with a chocolate coated cinder toffee biscuit

And a Findus crispy pancake for any tosser who tells you they don't like any element of it, despite your best efforts.

You should now definitely win so I want £500 from the prize.

[mattdaniels]

National humiliation for a 1 in 4 chance of winning a grand? No thanks.

[2seas]

My ulterior motive for this thread is my participation in a 'come dine with me' with a few friends, (no national tv humiliation). So i'm unashamedly trying to leech some ideas.

I'm a big fan of the 'photo of your food' thread on here and I've had to stop looking at it during work time because people assume i'm looking at porn, or otherwise that i'm just a drooler by nature, (i'm not sure which is worse). My point being - there are some seriously talented cooks who frequent this area so i'm after your thoughts on a 'winning' menu.

So assuming you were just cooking for 3 friends and really wanted to wow them - what would be your 3 courses of choice.

[2seas]

Pferdestarke said:

And a Findus crispy pancake for any tosser who tells you they don't like any element of it, despite your best efforts.

The other dishes sound really good!

[MacW]

Half a pound of C4.

[Miguel Alvarez]

Pferdestarke said:

a Findus crispy pancake for any tosser who tells you they don't like any element of it, despite your best efforts.

Mmmmmmm this is up there with fish finger sandwiches. *Puts reminder in phone to stop off at corner shop and buy some*



Mine would be

Starter - Fried ripe plantain discs slices of avocado served with a creamy callaloo dip.

Main - Baked Salmon served with runner beans and roast potatoes and rice and peas. I'd probably throw in some macaroni pie just because I love it.

Pudding - Apple crumble and ice cream.


Hardly adventurous but good (IMHO) quality home cooking. I keep meaning to try and make the callaloo cream dip. I tried it on holiday a few years back and it was really moreish.

[Pixel-Snapper]

2seas said:

My ulterior motive for this thread is my participation in a 'come dine with me' with a few friends, (no national tv humiliation). So i'm unashamedly trying to leech some ideas.

I'm a big fan of the 'photo of your food' thread on here and I've had to stop looking at it during work time because people assume i'm looking at porn, or otherwise that i'm just a drooler by nature, (i'm not sure which is worse). My point being - there are some seriously talented cooks who frequent this area so i'm after your thoughts on a 'winning' menu.

So assuming you were just cooking for 3 friends and really wanted to wow them - what would be your 3 courses of choice.

Awwwwww! In that case why didn't you say it was just for friends all is forgiven.

I'd go with some sort of....

Scallops and chorizo starter

Roast fore rib of beef with beetroot & horseradish mash for main

and a trio of desserts including cheesecake, rocky road and apple pie

[Regiment]

What about doing a theme night I.e a Japanese night with sushi, sake, tea, etc, cushions on the floor, etc?

[FLGirl]

Regiment said:

What about doing a theme night I.e a Japanese night with sushi, sake, tea, etc, cushions on the floor, etc?

This a really good idea and friends and I used to do this, along with our own version of CDWM.

Theme nights work brilliant (usually chose a country) as there's so much inspiration online.

For our take on CDWM we actually split the courses so whoever was hosting did the main, and the guests sort out a starter and a pud. This often to ran to 5 courses if there were more of us.

From memory, plucking the best dishes I can recall (we always wine matched each course to be uber-pretentious and thus recollections are hazy )

Amuse bouche: Rich mushroom veloute with truffle 'foam' (served in espresso cups)

Starter: Large fresh scallops seared in butter with steamed samphire

Main: Duck confit with sour cherry and port sauce, duck fat and thyme roast potatoes and green beans plus spinach (or Gordon Ramsay's Chinese glazed pork belly)

Palette cleanser: Lemongrass and basil sorbet

Dessert: Passionfruit cheesecake, or mango and cardamon creme brulee

Cheese course with fresh crusty bread

Hungry now!

[VinceFox]

Chicken super noodles.

[Shaw Tarse]

Miguel Alvarez said:

Pferdestarke said:

a Findus crispy pancake for any tosser who tells you they don't like any element of it, despite your best efforts.

Mmmmmmm this is up there with fish finger sandwiches. *Puts reminder in phone to stop off at corner shop and buy some*



Mine would be

Starter - Fried ripe plantain discs slices of avocado served with a creamy callaloo dip.

Main - Baked Salmon served with runner beans and roast potatoes and rice and peas. I'd probably throw in some macaroni pie just because I love it.

Pudding - Apple crumble and ice cream.


Hardly adventurous but good (IMHO) quality home cooking. I keep meaning to try and make the callaloo cream dip. I tried it on holiday a few years back and it was really moreish.

Give me the Findus pancake!
Cooked salmon is my bush tucker fail!

[condor]

I think the contestants in CDWM get £125 to help with the ingredients - so with that in mind. I'd go with this menu


Burgundian snails in shells with garlic butter and home-made bread

Lobster thermidor with green beans, broccoli and Jersey Royal new potatoes

Raspberry surpris

[calibrax]

I'd serve up CSV, from the Dirty Takeaway Thread.

Then they could rename the programme to "Dine Come With Me"...

[Shaw Tarse]

What is this CSV you speak of?
Would you like to post a pic?

[calibrax]

Shaw Tarse said:

What is this CSV you speak of?
Would you like to post a pic?

But of course! Here you go...

[mattdaniels]

calibrax said:

I'd serve up CSV, from the Dirty Takeaway Thread.

Then they could rename the programme to "Dine Come With Me"...

Would be amusing to see if someone could carry off something "Emperors News Clothes" stylee - serve a totally vile meal but with enough class and panache to see if people vote for it and say its nice.

[Miguel Alvarez]

Shaw Tarse said:

Give me the Findus pancake!
Cooked salmon is my bush tucker fail!

Really? I'm the complete opposite. With the exception of tinned tuna I struggle with uncooked/cold fish. I was in NY and this restaraunt had this dish. I forget the full description but ultimately it was raw fish in a creamy lemon and onion sauce. Cue me looking like Johnny Foreigner asking for them to take it back and cook it as it appeared to be cold.

[smack]

If I am invited, Steak, you can't go wrong - I even taught you how to cook it right!

But since I am not invited.... Prawn cocktail, using frozen prawns from Iceland (top draw those are), undercooked chicken for main, and burnt chocolate brownies in a pool of melted icecream.