How to throw the perfect Eurovision 2023 Party: your food, drinks and outfits sorted
Can the UK beat last year’s runner-up placing to land the title? Probably not – but it’s time for Eurovision 2023, so let’s party anyway
Nil pois? If last year’s runnerup placing is anything to go by, the UK may have finally relegated to history our abysmal showing at the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It was twenty years ago that Britain was awarded nil pois for Jemini’s song Cry Baby, and we got the lowest position again in 2021, but it could be worse. Norway holds the record for having got nil pois four times.
Anyway, last year we came second only to Ukraine, and it’s doubly exciting for 2023, with the Competition being hosted on home turf, in Liverpool. The live Eurovision final will take place this coming Saturday and will be broadcast live on BBC 1 from 8pm as our act Mae Muller goes head to head with 36 competing international acts for Eurovision 2023 with her track I Wrote A Song. It’s tradition to throw a Eurovision Party, or at least attend one, so in the name of patriotism, here are the best Eurovision Party hacks ahead of the weekend.
THE OUTFIT
It’s basically the law that you need to go dressed as a competing country, and there are many ways to interpret this. Of course there’s the going British option, perhaps Cheryl Baker from Buck’s Fizz if you’ve got a nice big blonde wig and some red lipstick in a nice jammy hue? Or Cliff Richard of course, if donning a dated toupee and a summer jacket and some fake tan is more up your street. If you’ve got a royal hangover that needs tending to after the coronation then why not go for sartorial hair of the dog with a patriotic red, white and blue outfit? Or look further afield. There are the cliched destinations that you could put a spin on, like France, with the obvious baguette-in-hand, stripy shirt aesthetic, or why not channel your Aussie cork hat energy and come as Australia, not technically in Europe but a part of the Song Contest since 2015? My gambit is to use Eurovision as an excuse to research smaller, lesser-visted territories like North Macedonia or Albania, dive into their cultural traditions, and pay homage to them. It’s way more fun to do something different and you’ll be a coversation starter too.
THE EUROVISION 2023 PARTY DISH
Great British Bake-Off star Lizzie Acker has teamed up with Oatly to make a modern version of the Liverpudlian classic dish, the Wet Nelly. Given the final is taking place in the northern city it’s a great dish to try to recreate, and can be prepared before your party and left on the table for when guests arrive. The Wet Nelly is similar to the bread pudding, and dates back to the 1950s.
INGREDIENTS
12 x (slightly stale or hard) slices of bread; 700g Oatly oat drink whole; 180g light brown sugar; 2tsp vanilla bean paste; 2tsp cinnamon; 2tsp mixed spice; 130g apple sauce; 50g melted vegan butter; 350g dried mixed fruits.
METHOD
Cut the crusts off the bread Tear the bread up and put into a bowl
Cover the bread with 700g of Oatly whole drink
Give the milk and bread a stir
Allow it to sit for at least 4 hours or overnight
Line the baking tray with greaseproof paper
Set the fan oven to 180°c
Add the sugar to the bowl of soaked bread Then add: vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, mixed spice, apple sauce, melted butter
Give the mixture a stir and then add and mix through the dried fruit
Pour the mixture into the prepped tin and bake in the oven for 1.5 hours
When your nelly comes out it may be slightly jiggly.
Allow it to sit for 30 minutes and then serve slightly warm with a dash of Oatly custard.
THE DRINKS
Booze is as synonymous with Eurovision as the words ‘nil pois’. Here are some of the best drinks to cheer Britain on with this Saturday night.
It’s essential to pop the fizz to get the Eurovision party started, and if you’re staying British this Saturday, Dorset vineyard Langham’s have a stunning blanc de blanc that’ll do just the trick. Nice and dry on the palette, it retails for £36 from Wanderlust Wine. For fizz with fun on the side, go for the Denbies sparkling bacchus, from retailers Grape Britannia. More balanced and expertly made, it’s a memorable bottle to pop for Eurovision.
It also happens to be World Cocktail Day this Saturday, so it’s the perfect excuse for a traditional British gin gimlet, one of the most classic cocktails from these shores. Make it with a double serving of gin, syrup, and lime juice, shaken. Of course there’s Pimm’s, but if you want to go a little left-field then try the John Collins, with gin, lemon juice, fizzy water and Maraschino cherry, built over ice and served with a lemon slice.
Independent spirits companies have been recommending drinks recipes for the night. Isle of Wight spirits brand Mermaid, available in Tesco, M&S and Waitrose, have come up with a unique drink for Eurovision to celebrate. To represent Blighty, they recommend a double serve of Mermaid Salt Vokda, Fever Tree Mexican Lime Soda mixer and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with lime, red chilli and a coriander sprig. Or get behind Poland with a single serving of Kavka Orchard Vodka, a dash of rose vermouth, prosecco, fresh strawberries, mint and a squeeze of lime. To make, fill a glass with ice and add the vodka and vermouth. Then add the rest, leaving the garnish ‘til last.
If this is all too much information and you’re still Making Your Mind Up then let us throw you one more: the classic Bucks Fizz, with two parts champagne one part orange juice. The band of the same name won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest so it’s more than fitting
Eurovision 2023 is on BBC1 at 8pm this Saturday
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