David almost cooks up taste of success
A MASTERCHEF wowed celebrity cooks with his indulgence of the palette - as well as the palate.
Fine art graduate David Rickett, 31, achieved a top three finish in the popular TV cookery contest where his dishes have been easy on the eye as well as tantalising to the tastebuds.
The Masterchef final came to a dramatic conclusion on Friday, April 17, with David being cheered on by family in Middleton.
Faced with serving a three course meal of “the best food you’ve ever cooked in your life” for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace, David rustled up a tortellini starter, lamb loin main and a raspberry and lychee meringue pie for dessert.
Although he ultimately lost out on the winning the title to Londoner Thomas Frake, David was praised throughout the competition for his intricate presentation and culinary techniques.
Now based in Greenwich, London, where he works as a digital security manager for a major bank, Man City fan David’s roots are nonethteless still firmly in the north.
He only took up cooking three years ago after being inspired by a celeriac puree at a fine dining restaurant and said the competition had been a dream experience - albeit slightly surreal to be playing out now with the backdrop of coronavirus.
Ahead of the start of the final three’s culinary showdown on Wednesday, he said: “I’ve been in about eight episodes up to now and there have been a few different challenges. In the most recent one on HMS Diamond I cooked for 120 naval officers and then cooked for Michelin-star chef Tom Kitchin. With my dishes there is the link to what I studied which was fine art. I think a lot about the flavour combinations, but also the design.”