Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Sweden

God kväll from Stockholm, winner of Eurovision 2015, host of Eurovision 2016 and home of  today's Chow Down to Eurovision dish.  

When thinking about Swedish cuisine meatballs, prinsesstårta and cinnamon buns instantly spring to mind but we can't forget the seafood. 

So with the seafood theme in mind, today's recipe is the incredibly easy oysters with chilli and dill.....there always seems to be room for dill.

That is one thing I am really looking forward to on my upcoming trip to Stockholm is checking out the range of local seafood. (It's not gluttony if its research!) 

I caught up with Måns on the red carpet in the Vienna and he said his first trip to Australia was in January 2015 and it looks like he is making it a regular trip for the tennis.

If he moved here could he represent Australia in Eurovision?

People have commented a lot about how incredibly handsome the man in the video is and I'd just like to thank them for noticing, I do try! (what do you mean not me??) 

Oyster Heroes with Chili and Dill
Ingredients

• 1 doz oysters
• 2 fresh chilies
• 1 dried chili
• 1-2 sprigs of dill
• 1 lemon, juice
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
• Pinch salt
• Pinch brown sugar

Method

• Arrange oysters on a serving plate (adding a thick layer of salt or sugar to the plate will stabilise the oysters)
• Finely slice fresh and dried chillies
• Roughly chop dill
• Add chillies, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and sugar to a bowl and mix
• Dress each oyster with about 1/2 teaspoon of mixture
• Serve...you could probably get this knocked up before Måns has finished his 3 minutes!

Fresh mouthful with a little heat!

A clean light dish that would go down a treat with some cold beer and a Eurovision final. 

Sweden was the winner of Eurovision 2015, taking their total to six wins just one less than Ireland who has the most wins on seven. 

The talent of Måns Zelmerlöw is clearly demonstrated when you look at the precision of his Heroes performances from Melodifestivalen through to the Eurovision finals. 

I find Måns a fantastic technician at delivering a consistent performance without it looking tired or over rehearsed so it will be exciting to see how he is used in his hosting capacity for Eurovision 2016.

Previous Sweden Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Rosettes

2013 Meatballs and Polar Bear

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Sweden

God kväll this is Sweden calling, host of last year's really, really, really wonderful show.


I think they did a marvellously job of hosting and how could you not love Petra's interval act....that I believe was inspired by Eurobeat's interval act "I'm Sarajevo, Taste me!"

 

You be the judge...... 

 

This clip is Mel Giedroyc and while I love her on Great British Bake Off, Julia Zemiro is the creator of the role of Bronya and will now and forever be the only Bronya in my eyes.
 

But as a Bronya once said, beggars can't be choosers and it's very hot could you open a window......

Lots of clips today, we are heading back to 1960 when 4 points could still get you 10th place as it did for Siw Malmkvist with Alla Andra Får Varann.

 

 

 

Our tasty delight from Sweden today was going to feature in last years Chow Down to Eurovision but due to some time constraints with ordering the tools became the first entry decided for this year.

 

I do love a kitchen gadget so when I saw how cute the finished rosettes look, I had to have one.

 



This recipe comes almost straight off the Fox Run packet the moulds came in. (not a sponsored post, I bought it with my own cashola)

Rosettes
Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 1 egg
• 500g vegetable shortening

Method

• Mix all ingredients into a smooth batter, I did this with a stick blender
• Heat the shortening to about 185°C in medium saucepan
• Hold the mould in the shortening for about 15 seconds to heat up
• Blot any excess shortening on kitchen paper
• Dip the mould into the batter making sure it is level and doesn't go over the top of the mould
• Hold the mould back in the shortening and fry for about 45 seconds till golden brown
• The shells may fall off the mould while frying or may require a gentle tap
• Drain on kitchen paper
• Serve dusted with icing sugar
• Or now as I'm typing this, I'm thinking icing sugar and crushed peppermint/menthol lollies for a cool hit to give the illusion of snow flakes for a white Christmas treat.

 

Sweden and their meatballs were in the final of Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 as they were the host country, will they make the finals again?

Heading over the bridge to Denmark for Sweden in May will be Sanna Nielsen, who beat previous Eurovision winner Helena Paparizou (for Greece 2005) to the job will perform Undo.

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Chow Down to Euovision 2013 - Sweden

This year's Eurovision host country Sweden is the first cab off the rank in the final of Chow Down to Eurovision 2013. As hosts Sweden automatically qualifies for the final along with Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The remaining 20 spots in the final come down to your votes and will be announced tomorrow.

While I had a dish in my head to finish our journey to Malmö with I kept seeing requests for meatballs recipes on twitter from potential Eurovision party hosts. I was resisting doing meatballs as I didn't think I'd be able to get my hands on enough horsemeat, but I always like to give the Saucers what they want.

The twist is these are based on my memory of Swedish meatballs from my childhood when the grown ups had parties. I remember they came frozen in a large box of about a thousand dark brown pebbles that looked like something decorative from a garden shop, they tasted of  a shipload of pepper and had a distinctive bounce to them.

This version doesn't  have quite as much bounce and with the brown onion glaze will disappear quickly. I've also included in this post a Swedish cocktail to get you in the spirit, or possibly hospitalised if you play the Eurovision drinking game!

I had a very hard time picking the past Eurovision taster as Sweden has a smorgasbord of brilliant offerings so I thought I'd stick to one most personal.

There is something magical in the finding Eurovision in a non Eurovision setting whether it be Loreen's Euphoria in the final of My Kitchen Rules, the music in a shopping centre or an intimate stand up comedy routine with a Eurovision theme.

My most thrilling surprise Eurovision was during a 6am body pump class, yes not only awake at that time but out of the house and exercising! Around this same time I was body jam instructing so I was no stranger to the inside of a gym, I just didn't look it.

I was getting ready to lift the weights while day dreaming about being back in bed when I hear "never gonna run away" (what, no way) "I'm not gonna hide"(OMG can it really be!!!) "I know, just what I feel inside" and yes it was Carola from 2006 serenading the class with Invincible! It was like I was back in Athens.

The instructor was very accommodating as I sang at the top of my lungs and tried to wave the bar like a flag with 10kg weights on each end. Just like the backing singer in the semi final there may have been a well covered stumble that had the potential of doing one's self a mischief. (2.45 in the video)

Swedish meatballs with Onion Gravy
Ingredients

• 500g mince (lamb, beef, pork, or combination)
• 250g sausage mince
• 11/2 cups bread or a bread roll
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 brown onions, peeled quartered
• 3 spring onions roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 2 brown onions peeled finely sliced
• Knob of butter
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. corn flour
• Olive oil

Method

• In a food processer add 2 brown onions quartered, bread, milk, spring onions, garlic peeled, and processer for 30secs till chopped
• Add the meat, pepper, salt, process till combined, add more milk if needed
• Roll into approx. 25g balls or to the size you prefer
• Cook in batches in a frypan on medium heat with a good splash of olive oil
• Move the frypan in a circular motion to move the balls around so that all sides brown
• Cook for about 10 minutes till cooked through, alternatively brown in the frypan and finish in the oven for about 15-20 minutes on 180°C

• To make the glaze sweat down the onions with  butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, they should be transparent rather than brown
• Add the stock and vinegar
• Boil to reduce slightly
• To thicken make the cornflour into a paste as directed and stir through
• Serve hot with toothpicks, as a main with mash potato or in a butter bread roll

 

Swedish Polar Bear Cocktail
Ingredient

• 30ml vodka (I have reduced the vodka to 1 shot instead of 2 as it is a long night)
• 30ml blue Curacao
• Ice
• Lemonade

Method

• Add all ingredient to a glass
• If you are playing the drinking game you could get an advantage by just having lemonade and blue food colour, it is cheating but could avoid a messy time!
• And always drink responsibly, no one wants blue clean up. 

Robin Stjernberg will have the home crowd support with his song You, can Sweden win 2 in a row?

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