What’s the best Eurovision party food?
Claire, Manchester
Our favourite song competition (the glitter! The tactical scoring!) is back, but with this year’s contest taking place over three nights, Claire’s snack game needs to be strong. “Vine leaves are always great – you can get really good ones in jars and tins,” says Greek-Cypriot cook Georgina Hayden, the author of Nistisima. “Or do a big platter of hummus jazzed up with a fancy topping” – lamb mince fried with cinnamon, cumin and a little chilli until really crisp would be just the ticket. “Toss through some pine nuts and raisins, spoon it over the hummus, add lots of parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and some paprika, and tuck in.” Another winning snack strategy is keftedes, which are “deep-fried meatballs, which is just what you want alongside a drink, right?”
Crisp orbs of risotto would also hit the fried-snack spot. “Arancini might seem intimidating, but they’re super-easy to make, especially if you go with a less traditional recipe – apologies to my Sicilian friends,” says Filippo La Gattuta, executive chef of Big Mamma Group, whose latest restaurant, Carlotta, opens next week. Make a white risotto until it’s 90% cooked, “and not too liquidy”, then add chopped cooked ham and peas, if you fancy. Once the mix is cool, roll it into balls around a cube of mozzarella (especially if you’ve gone for ham) or a scant teaspoon of bolognese ragu in the middle. “Roll in pastella batter [200g rice flour mixed with 320ml water], then breadcrumbs, and fry in vegetable oil until golden.”
