Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Estonia

As the song goes....Welcome to Estonia!

For today's dish I headed out on location to the Estonian House for a concert by Estonian Eurovision greats Ott Lepland (2012) and Tanel Padar (winner 2001) with Jalmar Varbana.

The concert was a very relaxed affair and even though I don't speak a word of Estonian, loved every second. 

My only negative about the night is neither star sang their Eurovision song!

While they are known for a lot more than their Eurovision participation it would have only taken 6 minutes to give the group of Eurovision fans in attendance what they came for, Everybody would have loved it. I know what I did there, really could I get any kuula?

As a special treat instead of past Eurovision song today we have a little taster of said concert.

Dishes that were on offer at the Estonian club which may or may not have also been eaten by Ott Lepland or Tanel Padar on the night....what is that in degrees of separation??

A herring on rye

Pork belly and pear at the Estonian house

The pork belly and pear was an inhale-able combination of salty, meaty and sweet that had to be the dish to represent Estonia this year. 
This is my made up "I think that is how it tasted" version.


Pork Belly and Pear (makes a lot)
Ingredients 

• 500g pork belly
• 1 cup green ginger wine
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2-3 pears cored and quartered (I didn't peel)

Method

• Slice the pork belly into 2-3cm cubes
• In a bowl add pork, green ginger wine, garlic and a good pinch of salt
• Let marinate for a couple of hours or overnight
• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Drain pork and pat dry
• In an oven proof fry pan brown the pork then put in oven for 15-20 minutes
• Cube the pears into a similar size as the pork
• Add to the oven with the pork and cook a further 5-10 minutes
• With caution, use a toothpick to attach a piece of pear to a piece of pork

 I went to the edge of caramelised with my pork and pear as that is how I remembered them, looking back on the original photo now I think it was just because it was dark!

Elina Born & Stig Rästa will sing Goodbye to Yesterday in Vienna but hopefully not goodbye to a place in the final.  

Estonia remind me of a modern Johnny Cash and June Carter very comfortably delivering a country break up duet. 

You may catch yourself singing "goodbye to yesterday" as you go about your everyday business...or maybe that's just me.

Õnne!

Past Estonia Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Estonian Rye Bread Mousse

2013 Jellied Meat

Chow Down To Eurovision 2014 - Estonia

Tere õhtust Saucers we have arrived in Estonia!

In Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 Estonia brought us Kyle the pigs head jelly so while this year's dish is still as interesting there are no body parts.

I have never been a fan of bread and butter pudding, or summer pudding with bread but had to try this mousse using rye bread.

After all discovering new cuisines is partly what Chow Down to Eurovision is all about, so with some tweaks this is the my take on an Estonian rye bread mousse.

Estonia managed to place 10th last year in Malmö but unfortunately Kyle was unable to qualify for the finals of Chow Down to Eurovision.

With today's Estonian Rye Bread Mousse being served in martini glass it's only fitting that Eighties Coming Back by Ruffus in 2003 is our hit for the day. They placed 21st.

  

 

Estonian Rye Bread Mousse

Ingredients

• 100g rye bread (I used a ciabatta I didn't bake it....shameful I know!)
• 90g butter
• 90g caster sugar
• 1 tsps. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon
• 300ml thickened cream
• 3-4 slices rye bread extra optional
• Blackberry jam

Method

• Dry rye bread out in a 180ºC oven for about 10 minutes
• Grate bread, some larger bits are ok
• In a fry pan on medium heat add 80g butter and 80g caster sugar, cinnamon and bread
• Stir and fry till crisp but not burnt
• Transfer to a tray and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool
• Melt the 10g of butter and brush the slices of rye bread, cut however you like them
• Add a pinch of cinnamon to the 10g sugar and sprinkle over the slices
• Bake at 180ºC for approx. 10 minutes till crisp
• In a mixing bowl add the cream, vanilla and cooled breadcrumbs
• Whip together till firm
• Serve in wine/martini glasses topped with jam and crisp bread
• Serve immediately as it gets quite firm if chilled in the fridge
• There should be enough for about 4 glasses 
• I love the nutty flavour and the breadcrumbs give the illusion of a praline which could be great for people with nut allergies

 

In Copenhagen Tanja with perform Amazing for Estonia and I'm sure she will be! 

  Õnne!

 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 -Estonia

Firstly a warning, some readers may find some pictures disturbing.

Today we have had landed in Estonia and our most adventurise recipe of the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013, cue the pig head or Kyle as I have come to know him. It was a bit of a challenge at first having Kyle look at me as I was about to chop him in two, but we made friends and got through it. That was the secret really, give him a name and thank him for his contributition to the blog and eurovision, talk about how he would be a celebrity and just never look him in the eye. I discovered this recipe on an Estonian website that has a series of how to videos, and thought sometimes an entrant just needs that special wow shock factor, thank you Kyle.

Poor Kyle, one eye looking at you, one eye looking for you

Doing much better after a trip to the spa, well clearly not that much better.

 

I'm really happy I went through with it but the flavour of the end result wasn't that great, there may be something lost in translation, or my missing celeriac. I love brawn but the stock was lacking some punch. I have included the recipe as written but I still have half of Kyle in the frezzer so will try again one day and update the recipe with any changes I make.

Estonia won eurovision in 2001 with "Everybody" by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL but todays musical treat comes from Tanel's sister Gerri in 2007. This is dedicated to Kyle as for this meat jelly experience we were true parnters in crime.

This is the original ingredient list but I needed to vary the meat as they must have really small pig heads in Estonia as Kyle was 4 kg.






Jellied Meat
Ingredients

• 1/2 pig head about 2kg
• 1 pork hock
• 1 pork trotter
• 500g veal shin osso bucco
• 1 brown onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 small celerac/turnip
• 8 pepper corns
• Spice mix (1 cinnamon stick, 1 nutmeg, 6 cloves, 1/4 teaspoon all spice)
• 4 bay leaves
• Salt to taste

Method

• Put the meats into a large boiler
• Soak the meat in cold water for 12 hours, change the water and soak for a further 12 hours
• Drain the meat and replace with fresh cold water.
• Bring to the boil and then drain the water from the meat again
• Cover with fresh cold water bring to the boil again
• Drain off rinse meat in cold water
• Cover with cold water and simmer for 2 hours.
• While it simmers scoop off any scum that forms on the top
• After 2 hours of simmering.
• Cut the carrots legthways in half
• Peel the celeriac and cut into 2 cm slices
• Remove the outerlayers of skin from the onion, leaving the inner layers.
• Cut the onion in half around it's middle
• In a very hot dry fry pan, fry off the vegetable.
• Let the vegetables develop a good brown colour.
• Add to the meat and simmer for a further 1 hour.
• Continue to skim off the fat and scum while it simmers.
• When the meat has simmered for 3 hours add the spices and simmer for further 15 minutes
• The meat is ready when it is falling off the bone, remove the meat from the boiler.
• Let it cool and then remove the meat from the bones.
• Chopped the meat into small cubes/shred.
• Strain the broth
• Add the meat back into the boiler and bring it to the boil.
• Season to taste, remembering that the seasoning will become milder as the jelly cools.
• Rinse the moulds in cold water
• Ladel the meat and broth into the molds and cool.
• Place the molds in the fridge and let set over night or about 8 hours.
• To unmould the jelly for serving gently pull the jelly away from the sides of the mould.
• Place serving plate on top of the mould and flip over.
• Give and gentle tap and remove the mould.

 

 

Et Uus Saaks Alguse will be sung by Birgit for Estonia this year.

Õnne!