Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - F.Y.R. Macedonia

Hello this is  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia calling. For the country with the longest name in the contest we have one of the shortest posts and easiest dishes of the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013.

I first discovered halva while watching Greek Come Dine With Me and then had some tutoring from a Macedonian colleague, she'd advise too pale, too dry, but I think I got it right in the end.
My all time favourite F.Y.R.M entry is 2002 Karolina singing Od Nas Zavisi musically this song is so interesting and I love the complex backing vocals, but really if you can rip off a ball gown to reveal gold chest armour you're OK in my book.

I've also added a special mention for another F.Y.R.M act I love for their theatricality, Toše Proeski with Life from 2004 who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2007.

Halva with walnuts
Ingredients

• 7 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 orange zest and juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup sunflower oil (or vegetable)
• 3 1/4 cups coarse semolina
• 200g walnuts chopped coarsely

Optional topping

• 500g Greek yogurt
• 1 pear pealed and chopped
• Pomegranate seeds
• Honey to drizzle

Method

• In a large saucepan add the water, sugar, honey, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and cloves.
• Gently simmer and stir to dissolve sugar and infuse flavours for about 20 minutes the strain.
• In a large boiler add the oils and semolina and mix
• Toast over a high heat to darken the semolina, it should turn a nut brown colour
• Take semolina off the heat and add the walnuts and mix through
• Carefully add the syrup, this will be very dramatic and may spit so caution is advised
• Mix to absorb the liquid
• Spoon halva into an oiled Bundt tin, again carefully as it is super hot
• Let cool in the fridge for a few hours
• Remove from Bundt onto a serving plate
• Rather than filling the hole with a pot plant (you've all seen the movie...it's a cake) I combined the pear and yogurt then topped with pomegranate seeds and honey but this is optional

Gotta love an oozing reveal!

It also make a delicious breakfast while writing and if you cover up the halva you can try and claim you are just having healthy yogurt, it's worth a shot.

Will F.Y.R.M give us some drama again this year as Esma & Lozano sing Pred Da Se Razdeni?

Cо среќа!