Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Albania

Good evening world........Tirana calling, in the beautiful Albania. 

I am busting to show you Albania's leek bake (yes I know what I did there) so enough chat and straight into the music.

In 2004 Anjeza Shahini sang The Image Of You in Albania's first entry to Eurovision and not only made to the finals she placed 7th.

Not a bad welcome to the Eurovision family.  

Albanian leek bake
Ingredients

• 500g leeks
• 2 brown onions
• 250g lamb mince
• 1 tsp. hot paprika
• 125ml passata

Method

• Slice the leeks on an angle into 2 cm pieces
• Gently fry them in a saucepan with a splash of oil till they start to soften
• Add to an ovenproof dish
• Fry the chopped onions till softened
• Add the mince and brown
• Add the passata and paprika, stir well
• Season to taste
• Add the mince mix to the leeks
• Bake covered at 180°C for 45mins (uncover for last 10 minutes)

The leek have a really enjoyable sweetness next to the hot meat.

I'm Alive will be to declaration from Elhaida Dani for Albania. 

Elhaida is vocally confident and sounds to have influences from Jessie J's and Delta Goodrem.

Will Albania still be alive in the grand final?

Fat i mire!

Past Albania Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Lamb baked in yogurt 

2013 My Turli Perimesh

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Albania

Mirëmbrëma this is Albania calling, home to our 6th stopover on the Chow Down to Eurovision 2014.

There are many sources of inspiration for the dishes that appear in the chow down, be they friends, cook books, Google, my own travels, or the Eurovision contestants themselves.

This dish of lamb baked in yogurt came from watching YouTube, and some follow up Googling. 

My Albanian is not what it use to be or ever existed so I am happy that I can cook by watching. It may be the culinary equivalent of musically playing by ear.

2010 saw Albania came 16th in the final with Juliana Pasha's It's All About You, with some fantastic backing singers. I promise those toes will be a tapping!

 
 

 

 

Lamb baked in yogurt (the translated name was cooking casserole sour)

Ingredients

• 600g cooked lamb (I used some left over braised lamb shanks, bone removed)
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 3-4 spring onions finely sliced (optional not pictured)
• 500g natural yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 2-3 gloves garlic (crushed)
• Salt and pepper
• 15g butter

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Place the cold cooked lamb in a baking dish and season to taste
• Sprinkle over rice and spring onions
• In a mixing bowl combine yogurt, eggs, garlic, pinch of salt
• Pour yogurt mixture over the lamb
• Dot the top with butter
• Bake for 30 mins
• Serve with a simple salad I went for just rocket and tomato nothing fancy, but a great way to use left over lamb roast.

 

 

Oh feel the comfort.........get me a blanket I'll be on the lounge with Eurovision re runs!

 

 

Albania did not qualify for the final of Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 and in Malmö so let's see what 2014 brings for them.

  

 Hersi (Herciana Matmuja) will perform One Night's Anger but lets hope that one night wont be in Copenhagen in May.

 Fat i mire!

 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Albaina

Përshëndetje (hello) and welcome to Albania.
In 2012 Rona Nishilu took to the stage with Suss and for 3 minutes I was memorized. While there were a mired of jokes about her hair and the screaming I sat transfixed as I witnessed a moment of true musical artistry, and I wasn't even a judge on The Voice.

It just goes to show while I love all the bells and whistles and reveals of Eurovision it is hard to beat a stand and deliver out pouring of emotional vocal gymnastics.
Well unfortunately it wasn't that hard to beat she came 5th. Today I have keep the same simplicity in the cooking with my variation of the Albanian Turli Perimesh or mixed vegetables.

My Turli Perimesh
Ingredients

• 2 brown onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large red capsicum
• 2-3 Lebanese eggplants
• 3 yellow squash
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
• 1 zucchini
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Basil to garnish

Method

• Chop all the vegetables into roughly the same size, leave the tomatoes whole
• Add olive oil to a fry pan over a medium heat
• Add the onions and garlic and sweat for a minute or 2 without browning
• Add the eggplant, squash, zucchini, capsicum and tomatoes
• Cook the vegetable till on medium to low heat till they are tender and the tomatoes are bursting.
• If the pan gets too dry add a splash of water or stock
• Season to taste
• Serve with an extra splash of olive oil and garnish with basil leaves  

Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko will bring Identitet to Sweden this year.

Fat i mire!