Saturday, April 23, 2016

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - United Kingdom

Our third to last country in the #BuildingBrunches Eurovision food tour is the United Kingdom.

There are some dishes in The Chow Down to Eurovision that are not only influenced by the competing nation but by the competing song like 2014's Cake to Bake from Latvia.

The United Kingdom entry Still in Love With You gave us the sound of the 1920's which makes me think Prohibition which really just makes us all think of alcohol.

So.....

Gin and Tonic Ice Cream Party Bombes

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
100g sugar
700ml milk
125ml cream
100ml tonic syrup (I buy Sinkonah tonic not sponsored )

Method

In a heavy base saucepan add eggs, milk, sugar, cream and whisk.
Keep stirring over a low heat until the custard thickening enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Be careful not to overcook it or it will curdle.
Add tonic and stir to combine
Chill while stiring in a bowl over an ice bath (this will help to make a smoother ice cream)
Put into ice cream machine and churn as per manufactures instructions
Fill lined Texas muffin pan with ice cream (recipe makes more ice cream than required, winning!)
Freeze for a few hours

Lime Gin Jelly
Ingredients

200g sugar
5 limes zest and juice
100ml water
100ml gin
3 gelatin leaves
Green food colour if desired

Method

Soak gelatin leaves as per packet
Add sugar, lime zest, juice and water to a saucepan
Simmer over medium heat till the sugar dissolves
Remove from the heat
Add the gin and gelatin leave as stir to incorporate the gelatin
Add a drop of green food colour if desired
Pour into a bowl and refrigerate till set

Italian Meringue
Ingredients

4 egg white
200g sugar
100ml water

Method

In a saucepan add the sugar and water
Dissolve the sugar over low heat and slowly bring up to 120°C
Beat the egg white to firm peak
Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites while constantly beating till cool (a stand mixer is good for this)
Add meringue to a piping bag

Chocolate crumbs

1/2 packet chocolate biscuits blitzed in a food processor

If I was on Master Chef I'd probably call this a deconstructed biscuit!

To assemble

Scoop a well into the middle of the bombes
Fill the cavity with lime jelly (a piping bag helps)
Cover with over the hole with ice cream and freeze for 1 hour
Remove bombes from muffin tin and remove lining
Cover with chocolate soil
Pipe with Italian meringue to decorate
Serve before melting

Traditionally a G&T doesn't have chocolate but isn't everything better with chocolate

If when you go to blowtorch the meringue find you have run out of gas, just leave them white and say that's how they are meant to be!

G&T and yes still in love with you...

One of the highlights for me in Vienna was the pleasure of meeting the lovely Electro Velvet and Bianca announcing she had seen my video with Carly Findlay about disability and Eurovision, to my obvious shock.....someone watches my videos???

For anyone concerned I do believe that Bianca's handbag did survive our meeting, but it was a close call for a moment there!

I'm sorry Alex I didn't get you anything but you are always welcome to pop in for a G&T anytime you're in town.

Electro Velvet brought a fun change of pace to the Eurovision final with the 1920's inspired I'm still in Love With You which placed 24th.

As I sing along to Eurovision on my daily commute I'm no stranger to be bit of self praise....
"Sounding good Sugar!"

Previous United Kingdom Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Valerie's Prawn Shells

2013 Luxury Salmon and Caper Pie

It does look like I basically made the same dish 2 years in a row but that's really nothing new in Eurovision is it??

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Spain

Hola, and well as the song goes...Oh I'm (we're) off to sunny Spain!

Which in a random piece of Eurovision trivia, was sung by Swedish singer Sylia who twice tried at Melodifestivalen to represent Sweden (2002, 2013) though imagine if Sweden had selected Y Via Espana to represent them in 1974 we could all be saying ABBA who?

So onto our Spanish entry in our Eurovision food passport and it couldn't be easier.

I discovered this recipe while flipping through cookbooks in a library....Libraries are basically bookshops but you can peruse through the books and no one yells "you gonna buy that mister? This aint a library!"

When I saw a soup that was basically old bread I thought we have a winner as I usually have a lot of bread needing a home!

This recipe is the perfect addition to your Eurovision menu as its so quick you can have it done before the first votes spokesperson have gotten through how much they really really really enjoyed the wonderful show!

The recipe was inspired by the Bread and Garlic Soup with Saffron recipe in the

MoVida Spanish Culinary Adventures by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish

Garlic and Bread Soup (Sopa Castellana)

4-5 thick slices of few day old sour dough
5-6 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Saffron
1.5 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp. cream
Sweet paprika

Method

Break up the bread and bake in a 150°C oven for about 5-10 minutes, don't let it burn
Finely slice the garlic
Add a good glug of olive oil a large heavy base saucepan on medium heat
Add the garlic to the saucepan but don't let it brown
Add the saffron and stir
Pour in the stock and let boil
Add the bread and stir
Add cream
Serve topped with paprika

You don't have to bake the bread yourselves........I guess we don't all love our families and friends (I'm joking don't write in!)

Edurne placed 21st in the final with Amanecer which is a shame as I really love this song and it would be among my most played of 2015.

The passion of the Spanish fans I witnessed in the press centre was a true inspiration, hugging, crying, cheering all while completely focused on every second of the rehearsal.

Many onlookers could call their enthusiasm OTT (not Lepland) Over The Top but I admire just how much they support their artists.

There are quite a few countries that could take a leaf out of Spain's book when it comes to getting behind your entry!

Previous Spain Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Chicken and Chorizo Burgers

2013 Pork cooked in milk

Sunday, April 17, 2016

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

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Italy

Ciao tutti siamo arrivo in a Roma!!!!
There is no secret about my love for Italy and how much I wanted Il Volo to win Eurovision 2015.

Who wouldn't want an Italian hosted Eurovision? The show would go for days with all the talking and 2 weeks in Rome, Florence or any where in Italy...sign me up!!

Being the country I heart the most (after Australia) and with the song Grande Amore it makes perfect sense that the Italian entry for Chow Down to Eurovision is heart.

Ok how many of you have I lost there?

This dish is inspired by coratella the Italian offal dish of pretty much most organs, lungs, kidneys, livers, spleen and heart.

I believe that if we are going to kill an animal for food we should at the very least eat all of it.

So when it comes to any grande amore it really is just all about the heart.

Grande Amore on toast
Ingredients

2 lamb hearts
1 small brown onion
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
Knob of butter
30ml verjuice
A small handful of mixed herbs chopped, rosemary, parsley and thyme
Thick slices of toasted sour dough

Method

Trim the hearts of excess fat
Cut into small even pieces about 2-3cm
Add a good splash of oil to a fry pan on medium heat
Add onion and garlic and let soften
Add the heart and saute for a couple of minutes
Season well with salt and pepper
Add the verjuice, butter and herbs, stir through
Serve on buttered toasted sourdough and garnish with extra rosemary

When your local farmers market has an amazing lamb farmer you just gotta take heart!

The heart is so tender and flavoursome it is well worth trying it at least once before deciding it's not for you.

After a stellar performance in Vienna Il Volo won the televote but then finished 3rd when combined with the jury votes......aka robbed!

Il Volo red carpet Vienna, Piero going the beard grab!

I think Piero was very kind to say he liked my beard the couple of times I saw him in Vienna as looking back I think I may have been bordering on the wrong side of a hipster Worzel Gummidge!

Don't worry Stockholm I've had a trim...

Previous Italy Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Zucchini and Pork Pizza

2013 Pasta Broccoli

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 Semi Final Two Recap

Now we have seen all the dishes for Semi Final Two it's time to vote for your favourites!

Which dishes are you going to send to the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 #BuildingBrunches Final?

Seventeen dishes and countries battle it out to secure the 10 available places in the final.....you have the power to decide!

~~Voting will close 13/3/16~~
Update

The results are in and the countries moving onto the final of Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 #BuildingBrunches are:........in no particular order......