Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Georgia

საღამო this is Georgia calling, our fourth port of call in Semi Final 2 on our culinary journey to Copenhagen.

If you joined us last year for Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 you may remember that Georgia brought us the scrumptious Khachapuri (cheese bread) which secured them a place in the final.

This year Georgia is offering a moreish walnut sauce to serve with a roast chicken, eggs or vegetables.

There are many variations of this sauce with ingredients that include dried marigolds, blue fenugreek, saffron, though I have made a version that doesn't require a trip to a spice bizarre. (even though I do love a trip to a spice bizarre or shop as they are commonly known)

Just like today's walnut sauce this act is great with the excitement added by the dancers but is just as great if it was pared back with Sopho just standing and singing.

 Georgia first joined Eurovision in 2007 with Sopho and Visionary Dream, she came 12th in the final.

 
 

Chicken with Walnut Sauce
Ingredients

• 12 chicken legs  (going on it serving 4-6)
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• 120g walnuts
• 1 large brown onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 400ml chicken stock
• Pinch saffron threads
• 40g butter
• 60g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp. cloves ground
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon ground
• 1 tbs. red wine vinegar

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Lay chicken legs on a foil lined tray
• Splash with olive oil
• Rub with a good pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes
• To make the sauce
• Blend the walnuts into a paste (a tbs. of water can help it along)
• Add the saffron to the chicken stock to let it infuse
• Roughly dice onion and crush garlic
• In a medium sauce melt butter
• Add onion, garlic and cook on low heat till soft
• Add flour and stir to make a paste
• Add cloves and cinnamon to flour and cook for about 1 minute
• Slowly add the chicken stock, bit by bit, stirring continuously
• As the sauce thickens add more stock
• When the sauce has thickened add the walnuts and vinegar
• Mix well and cook for another minute or 2 to ensure it is the consistency you like
• Season to taste
• Serve over the roast chicken legs, my vegetable option is boiled potato with sauté kale (I'm a bit kale mad sorry)
• For a Eurovision party this could be converted to a great nibble with drinks using chicken wing drumettes and having a walnut dipping sauce....and 1 or 2 drinks

 

 

The Shin & Mariko will perform Three Minutes to Earth but will their three minutes being heard around the world get them a place in the final?

გისურვებთ წარმატებას! 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Georgia

So far we've seen 14 countries from Semi Final Two now let's move on to our 15th country, Georgia.
While Georgia did not participate in Moscow (2009) every year since their debut in 2007 they have secured a place in the final, well until 2012 with Anri Jokhadze and the aptly titled I'm a Joker, a high camp number about being a womanizer.

For the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 Georgia is offering Khachapuri or cheese bread. I love this dish as it is the best of both worlds pizza and bread, and with the addition of an egg on top it has that little touch of an Aussie. For my international readers an Aussie is a pizza with bacon and ham and an egg cracked over it, strangely I never saw one in Rome.

Our Eurovision past taster is from 2008 when not only Diana Gurtskaya did a reveal but the full 6 member cast did a simultaneous reveal, talk about bring out your big guns. The song Peace Will Come is appropriate to the Khachapuri as once you start baking it you wont be able to wait for a Piece to come!

Khachapuri
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. salt
• 14g instant yeast
• 450g strong flour
• 2 1/2 cups of grated cheese (use a variety, mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, fetta etc.)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. strong flour
• 2 tsp. paprika

Method

• In a microwave safe bowl heat the 1/4 cup and butter for 1 minute till melted.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer add the 3/4 cup milk, sugar, coriander, salt and milk/butter mix.
• Add yeast and flour and roughly mix with a spoon, let rest for 40 minutes
• Using a dough hook to knead till dough is elastic about 8 minutes
• Put dough into an oiled bowl and let rise for about 1-2 hours
• Make filling by mixing in a food processor the cheese, cream cheese, eggs, flour and paprika
• Divide the dough in half
• Roll out 1 half on a floured bench, it will end up in a 28cm cake tin so you want to roll out to at least 34 diameter rough
• Add half the filling and spread around
• Fold dough in on itself to enclose
• Place in greased 28cm cake tin, joined side down
• Prick all over with a fork
• Let rise for covered for another 40 minutes
• Repeat with second half
• If making the egg version, slice a cross in the top layer of the bread and gently peel back the points and crack an egg into the centre.
• Bake in 180°C oven for 35-40 minutes
• Once out of the oven smear with butter to make it glossy
• Best served warm, as if there will be any left for it to get cold??

 

 

Waterfall is Georgia's hope for this year sung by Nodi Tatishvili & Sophie Gelovani.

გისურვებთ წარმატებას!