Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Hungary

Good Evening Hungary, may we have your dish please?

Often Eurovision is associated with cheese but this is usually because people have only been exposed to the kitschy 6% of Eurovision acts that make a good prime time sound bite and not the rest of the 1400+ performances.

In 2015 there is no "joke act" the likes of Alf Poier or Dustin the turkey but that doesn't stop the Chow Down to Eurovision bring some cheese.

But first I'm hungry for some Hungary....In 2011 Kati Wolf asked What About My Dreams? 

Sadly she wasn't Europe's dreamgirl and came 22nd out of 25, a disappointing result for such a good performer. 

Liptauer Hungarian Cheese Spread

• Ingredients
• 250g cream cheese
• 375g ricotta (firm)
• 200g cottage cheese
• 100g capers
• 8-10 small gherkins
• 1-2 tsp. caraway seeds (toasted)
• 2 tsp. mustard powder
• 2 tsp. hot paprika
• Pinch of salt if required (the capers do that job)

Method

• Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend
• Spoon the mixture into a cheese mould or plastic warp lined bowl
• Let rest in the fridge over night
• Gently un-mould onto a serving plate 
• Serve with vegetable shapes or biscuits, I brought the Eurovision heart theme with a cookie cutter (used in F.Y.R.Macedonia) for some carrots and flat bread (upcoming San Marino)

Seriously a 45second blend and you are done and you can watch more Eurovision while it rests

Eurovision, it's all about the heart

War is for Nothing is Boggie's song of peace from Hungary.

There is a haunting quality to the chorus, (I imagine all the souls lost to war as the chorus, very Empty Chairs at Empty Tables) and then sentiment is true but can she deliver the mature conviction needed to make it to the final or will it be another lovely slow Eurovision song with a group of words peace?

Past Hungary Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Hungarian Pork Crackling Biscuits

2013 Paprika Chicken 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Hungary

Jó estét this is Budapest, Hungary calling the 16th and final country in Semi Final One of 2014 Chow Down to Eurovision.

While Eurovision has it's trending gimmicks such as the reveal, key change or long haired man in a white suit. The Chow Down to Eurovision appears to be developing it's own standby by gimmick, pork crackling.

Last year we saw it dipped in chocolate in Ukraine and this year Hungary have delivered it in a biscuit, though it is probably more part of the scone family.

I saw a lot of different versions but basically it's like an enriched scone dough that is treated like a croissant, so I thought cool I can do that so this is my take on the Hungarian Pork Crackling Biscuit.

In 1997 Hungary sent VIP (a boy band not a Pamela Anderson sitcom) to sing Miért kell, hogy elmenj? They placed 12th in the final perhaps adding Pamela Anderson could have helped?

 

 

Hungarian Pork Crackling Biscuit
Ingredients

• 6 large pork belly rashers
• Pork rind sheet about 300g
• 500g strong flour
• 14g yeast
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. golden caster sugar
• 100ml milk
• 150ml cream
• 100g butter softened
• Paprika

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Give the rashers and rind a splash of olive oil and salt
• Bake for 35-40 minutes on a wire rack over a tray
• They should be crisp and dry
• Cool and then grind to crumbs in a food processer (not too fine)
• Heat the milk a little, don't let it boil
• Add the flour, yeast, eggs and caster sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer
• Add the cream and milk
• Knead till smooth and elastic
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let double in size.
• Mix the butter through the pork crumbs with a good pinch of salt
• Roll the dough into a rectangle on a floured bench
• Cover the dough with 1/4 of the pork/butter mix
• Fold the dough in a book turn and repeat 3 times till pork/butter mix is used
• Roll the dough out to be about 2cm thick
• Cut out rounds and place on a lined tray
• Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with paprika
• Bake at 200°C (non fan) for about 10-12 minutes till golden and puffed.
• Serve warm
• While jam and cream may not be the best friend for these scones, a bowl of hot pumpkin soup would be heaven. I also want to try adding chilli, cos chilli makes everything better!
• Using an espresso glass as the cutter I get about 40 biscuits

 

 The folds don't have to be perfect, it's probably better but life is short!

András Kállay-Saunders will perform Running which highlights an issue you wouldn't instantly think of for the Eurovision stage, family violence.

The world seems to have lost the basic concept of treating each other with respect so well done Hungary for bringing this issue to the spotlight.
If you or someone you know needs assistance call Life Line on 13 11 14

Let's hope that Hungary makes it through to the finals so that more people can hear Kállay-Saunders' message.

Sok szerencsét!

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Hungary

Who's Hungary? Our host country today in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 of course!
One of the earliest "foreign" dishes I remember having as a child was paprika chicken, it was exotic because it used of a spice! Mind you this was early 80's and it was being served up right along side the craze that was apricot chicken.

The year I finished school and left home I thought I was the height of sophistication when I served it for my first "adult dinner party" it was a massive flop so has stayed hidden away until now. I remember it as fatty skin on chicken thighs with bones so I have modernized it some what, I think it is in at least 1991 now.

Zoli Ádok and Dance with me is the only Hungarian entry not to make the Eurovision finals, which proves just like my terrible attempt at paprika chicken it's not about the outcome as long as we all had fun. I should add when I say adult dinner party I mean with red wine and discussing current events or philosophical debates, not car keys in a bowl.

 
 

Paprika chicken
ingredients

• 1kg of chicken cut into chucks (I used Maryland fillets)
• Seasoned flour
• 2 brown onions, halved and slices
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 6 tomatoes chopped
• 2 tbsp. of sweet paprika
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• extra olive oil

Method

• Add 1 tbsp. of paprika to the seasoned flour in a plastic bag or a lunch box works well
• Coat chicken chunks with flour and shake
• Heat a good splash of olive oil in a frypan on medium heat
• Brown the chicken and remove from fry pan
• In clean fry pan on low heat sweat down the onions and garlic with a good splash of olive oil
• Add the remaining paprika
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they break down into a sauce
• Return the chicken to the frypan
• Add the stock and simmer on low till the chicken is tender and cooked through
• Add more stock if the sauce becomes too thick
• Add sour cream and cook for another 2 minutes before serving
• Season to taste
• Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika
• Serve with nokedli or rice

Nokedli
Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/2-3/4 cup water
• big pinch of salt

Method

• Add eggs, flour, salt and 1/2 cup water to a large mixing bowl
• Mix to combine adding more water if required
• The mix should be lumpy but not too thick to pass through the potato ricer
• Let rest for 30 minutes
• Boil a large pot of salted water
• Using a potato ricer or a spazele maker and drop batches of the mixer into the boiling water
• The nokedli will float when cooked about 1-2 minutes
• Remove from the water and put into a colander
• Splash with olive oil
• Garnish with parsley (optional)

 

 

Hungary with send  ByeAlex with Kedvesem (Zoohacker Remix) will they receive another finals spot this year?

sok szerencsét!