Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Finland

Good evening from the home of Lordi, Finland, our fifth country in this tasty tour of Europe.

No time to unpack we are heading straight to the Eurovision 1990 and the Finnish entry Beat with Fri?

While they have rocking hair Europe should be proud of Beat shared last place with Norway on just 8 points.

I am obsessed with beetroot in all it's many forms and shades, yes it doesn't just come in a can

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In my Chow Down to Eurovision research I also found may forms of these Finish beetroot burgers, grated into a fritter/rosti or in slices.

I love them sliced as they are soooo good just on their own with sourcream but also on a bun with "the lot"!

Surely these must be a crumbed "superfood"...well you would probably have to use quinoa flakes and coconut oil to be a real "superfood"

Beetroot burgers (makes about 18)
Ingredients

• 2 long beetroots
• 2 eggs beaten
• seasoned flour
• panko breadcrumbs
• 300ml sour cream
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 1 spring onion finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced (optional)
• Olive oil
• Parsley to garnish

Method

• Add beetroots to a saucepan of cold water
• Bring to boil then simmer till just tender (20-30mins)
• Drain beetroot and allow to cool completely
• Mix sour cream with lemon juice, spring onion, garlic and a pinch of salt
• Peel beetroot and slice into 1-2cm slices
• Coat each slice in flour, egg and breadcrumbs
• Add olive oil to a frypan, a good glug! (enough to shallow fry not deep)
• On a medium heat fry each slice for 2-3 minutes till golden and crisp
• Drain on paper towel and serve with an extra sprinkle of salt and parsley
• Top with sour cream

Give me a Eurovision dvd, a beer and a plate of these and I'm one happy fella.

This year Finland will be represented by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät aka PKN.

PKN are a punk band and this has caused quite a stir amongst Eurovision "fans", claiming they are only there as a token, some even calling for them to be disqualified because their song isn't the Eurovision pop!

This is exactly why I love Eurovision, I get exposed to so many new and different artists.

Would you really want to sit through a night of 40 Carolas? 

It seemed to be that last year's message of tolerance, acceptance and the notion of being unstoppable was only applicable to women with facial hair.

I get the not everyone likes punk music and that Aina mun pitää may not be the best punk song ever or could the real reason for the carrying on be that people are uncomfortable with people with disabilities?

If you are so closed minded you can't spend 1.37 minutes of your life listening to a punk song the producers of Eurovision 2015 have picked the perfect theme for you......

Build a bridge! 

Carly Findlay and I had a chat about Eurovision, inclusion and PKN prior to their selection.

Past Finland Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Finnish hot pot

2013 Rice Pudding

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Finland

Hyvää iltaa this is Finland calling.

Home to many wooden spoon performances and one hell of a victory in 2006 with Lordi and Hard Rock Hallelujah (it's a shame you can't hear my intonation as I type this because I'm using my best full monster metal falsetto! Hallelujah!)  

I assume, not being totally au fait with the monster diet that Lordi would devour a Finnish hot pot being meat, meat and meat but it would forever ruin the illusion if I found out they were Paleo Vegans!

Laila Halme was the first Finnish contestant to come last at Eurovision with the dreaded nul points.(zero points) They have placed last 9 times since first participating in 1961 but thankfully only nul points on 3 occasions.

I believe Laila deserved some points in the very least as she does have a touch of the Eleanor LaGore about her, I'm just waiting for the entrance of The Saturday Show Dancers!

Laila Halme Muistojeni laulu

 

 

This recipe was inspired by Karelian hot pot from about.com. The quantity of this recipe will feed a Eurovision party crowd, or freeze for later, but once the slow cooker is out you want to make it worth your while.

Finnish Hot Pot

Ingredients

• 1kg pork fillet
• 1kg beef chuck
• 1kg lamb chump
• 2 tbsp. of black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp. of whole pimento/all spice
• 6 large brown onions
• 5-6 bay leaves
• 1 tbs. sea salt
• 2 tbs. cornflour approx.
• 2 tbs. verjuice
• Olive oil

Method

• Thinly slice the onions, a food processor is a joy to be hold at this stage 
• Cut the meats into equal(ish) 2cm cubes
• With a splash of olive oil brown off the meat in batches
• Make sure to render the lamb fat well (or leave it out)
• In a slow cooker add 1/4 of the onions and 1/4 of the meat and repeat layers till used
• Add the pepper, pimento/all spice, salt, bay leaves and 600ml of water
• Cook for about 6 hours on low till meat is tender and the stock is glorious (I believe that is a culinary term)
• When it's ready you can thicken the sauce with cornflour, but I prefer separate the meat from the stock and leave both overnight
• The next day you can remove a layer of fat from the stock and strain away any excess spices 
• Heat the stock and thicken with a paste of cornflour and a touch of water
• Add a couple of tablespoons of verjuice to the sauce and adjust the seasonings
• Reheat the meat gently through the sauce so it doesn't dry out

Serve with a rustic mash potato, skin on, manual masher, no fine dining passing through drum sieve here, just salt, pepper and enough butter to......actually I'm not sure I should publicly speak of the amount of butter used...use your own judgment here.

Traditionally the dish is served with cranberry sauce but my twist and revelation is a good handful of dried cranberries through the mash potato takes it to the next level as they say would on reality TV cooking shows. The cranberries offer a tart yet fruity accompaniment to the meat and potatoes, and possible an extra vitamin or two.

Another option is to use ground spices if cooking for children, older people or you can't be bothered eating around the whole spices.

 

This year Finland doesn't want to risk coming last for the tenth time so they have decided to send Something Better, performed by Softengine.

Onnea!

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Finland

Finland the winners of the 2006 Eurovision song contest is our destination for today. While researching Finish dishes one dish I kept running into was creamed rice pudding. I'll be honest, I hate creamed rice it's vile baby vomit like stuff,was that too honest? I don't understand why I hate it so much as I adore risotto, but then again I can't stand congee, so maybe I have a mushy rice threshold and there is only so far I can go. Considering I tackled a pig head in this Chow Down I thought I should be brave even to come to turns with my mushy rice phobia.
Riisiunnpuuro is an oven baked rice pudding and after extensive trials, I realise it's something I will have to live with for the rest of my life but I just don't love creamy rice.
One thing I do love from Finland is their variety of Eurovision acts. One comfort I have to get me through my riso issue is knowing I was in the arena the night that the monsters from Lordi won Eurovision. Ok so it was third row from the back, but I'll discuss that in detail when we are in Greece, but thanks Labrina ya biatch! I'd like to say you can see AB and I in the crowd but I don't think they had telescopic lenses.

 

 

 

Today it is all about the Pump-Pump from 1976 from Fredi & Friends, this is pure Eurovision gold. If ever I write Douze Points the musical I want to play Fredi.

 

Rice Pudding
Ingredients

• 2 cups short grain rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1lt milk
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar

Method

• Add all ingredients to a baking dish
• Bake in a 180°C oven from 75-90 minutes
• Stir a couple of times while cooking and cover with foil if you feel the top is browning too much
• Top with walnuts and serve with ice cream and drowned in honey
• Serving it in a dome is optional, just use a small oiled bowl as a mould
• Please enjoy even though it's not my thing, people seem to like it...weird!

 

 

 

Krista Siegfrids will treat Malmö to Marry Me.

Onnea!