Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Germany

Our culinary journey through Eurovision 2015 has taken us to 36 countries (4 to go) and now brings us to Germany. 

After Vienna I did spend a couple of nights in Dusseldorf for research so I have some great ideas for future Chow Down to Eurovision food adventures......though I'm not sure if the poffertjes and chicken nuggets is a traditional German breakfast but it works for me!

This year Germany offers us a sophisticated take on jelly and ice cream with WINE! 

Rote Grutze would be a perfect eurovision party dessert as it needs to rest overnight in the fridge so you can make it add so as not to spend a second in the kitchen while Eurovision is on!

Rote Grutze
Ingredients

• 250ml cranberry juice
• 250ml red wine
• 750ml jar of cherries
• 230g sugar
• 250g mixed berries
• 250g strawberries quartered
• 50g cornflour (made into a paste with some water)
• 300ml Pouring cream

Method

• Add cranberry juice, wine, juice from the cherries and sugar to saucepan
• Bring to the boil and reduce for about 5 minutes
• Add cornflour and stir to thicken 
• Add all the fruit and stir through for a couple of minutes
• Pour into a bowl and leave in the fridge overnight
• To serve pour some cream into a bowl and top with a good helping of the rote grutze

While this doesn't look the best, ok a blood clot, the combination of the tart berries and the cleanness of the cream is bliss. 

Not every red carpet moment is a huge success, in my head I planed a "clever" tie into Ann Sophie's song Black Smoke.

The lyrics are "too hard to say three words" so my question was going to be "while its hard to say those three words...what 3 words do you want to hear at Saturday's final could it be Douze Points Germany?".....you can see in the video that is not what come out more like a raving jumble.

I did manage to employ that timeless technique when someone is not understanding you of just repeating the same thing just louder and faster!

My favourite part of the interview is when she turns away and says "I don't understand" which is fair enough she was probably thinking who is this raving bearded chap.....didn't he quite in the German national final?

Some people have said we look alike??

Photo of Andreas Kümmert source

Sadly no one did say Douze Points Germany and along with Austria they became the Zeros of our time.

Previous Germany Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 German Farmer's Breakfast

2013 Beef Gulasch by Selin and friends

Soupy Stars: Mixed onion soup with goats cheese toasts

Being in the middle of cold and flu season in Melbourne it is good to keep the immune system boosted. Knock wood I have avoided a bout of Man Flu with a regime of preventative medicine, I mean eating.

 

The smell of onions and garlic frying in butter is just one of the joys of being alive.

 

Mixed Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1kg of mixed onions (red and brown)
• 5-6 cloves garlic 
• 60g butter
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 120ml red wine
• About 2.5 litres of beef or vegetable stock
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme

Method

• Peel onions and slice finely (I used the food processer, no more tears)
• Peel garlic and slice finely
• Heat butter and oil on medium in a heavy base pot
• Add onions and cook for about 10-15 minutes till softened, I don't brown them too heavily but it's up to you
• Add brown sugar, red wine and stir through
• Add the stock, it should cover the onions very generously as it will reduce
• Simmer on medium for about 40-45 minutes
• Serve with soft goats cheese spread on toasted baguette, glittered with thyme leaves (oh that sounds classy)
• Onion tip, if you store them in the fridge you are less likely to cry as the juice/vapours spray less when chilled.
• Also it's good to ensure the onions have softened before adding the liquid as boiling raw onion doesn't give the same smooth texture

 

 

Everything is better with butter and a splash of oil!

 

 

The toast can be served on the side to avoid the risk of soggy bread!