Solyanka (pronounced “so-lyan-ka”), a Russian word which can be translated as “grab-bag” or “hodgepodge” is the name of the dish symbolic in Russian cuisine known far beyond Russia. As a matter of fact, knowing the name of this dish is enough never to go hungry if you are a foreigner visiting Russia. For the first time “solyanka” is mentioned in the Russian literature of the 15th century and by the 18th century it is widespread and referred by two names – “solyanka” and “pohmelka” (“pokh-mel-ka”), which meant a greasy and very hearty soup served as snack with vodka or served as an entrée. Nobility, however, did not accept this dish at all, considering it a sign of bad taste and only commoners and poor people loved it, since it was very filling and warming while being a good source to replenish energy after a whole day of hard labor. Solyanka also helped common people to drink without actually getting drunk.
Russian Monday: "Solyanka" - Rustic Potato Soup with Smoked Meat & Olives
Eye of Round Roasted with Herbs
From A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig by Charles Lamb (1775-1834)
"Mankind," says a Chinese manuscript, "for the first seventy-thousand ages ate their meat row, clawing or biting it from the living animal just as they do in Abyssinia to this day."
From those early challenging days when raw meat was devoured to today's Steak au Poivre, Veal Scallopine, and Rosemary Shish Kebabs, almost everyone has relished the taste of meat. Correctly cooked and imaginatively seasoned, it has great appeal.
Ingredients:
- 1 eye of round beef roast, 3-4 lb.
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 5-6 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tsp ground mustard seeds
- 3 or 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 1/4 cup cognac
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Mix together the seasonings with cognac and set them aside.
Take out the roast, rinse it and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the seasonings all over the roast, and let it sit out on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes. This allows the roast to reach room temperature, plus it lets the seasonings settle onto the roast.
Preheat an oven to 400°F.
Place a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Then add the beef stock and roast, uncovered, until the meat is evenly browned on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F, cover and continue to roast for 1 hour more.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite vegetables.
Curried Turkey Stew with Mushrooms and Carrots and Green Bean Salad
Ingredients for turkey stew:
- 6 cups homemade turkey broth
- 2 turkey legs, deboned, skinned and diced (about 4 cups meat)
- 1 Tbs. peanut oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 lb. fresh cremini mushrooms, halved if large
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 Tbs. curry powder
- 3 tsp. minced fresh dill
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions for turkey stew:
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the peanut oil. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring, until the onion is brown, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and turkey. Cover, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the turkey are almost tender, about 30 minutes.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and simmer more, about 12 minutes. Season the stew with salt and pepper. Stir in the minced fresh dill. Ladle the stew into warmed bowls and serve immediately.
- 1 lb. slender green beans, trimmed
- 3 tbsp. hemp seeds
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
- 2 Tbs. avocado oil
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest
- coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes; the timing will depend on their size. Drain.
In a large serving bowl, combine the hot beans, dill, avocado oil and salt and toss to mix. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Use a peeler and make long broad strokes from pole to pole of the lemon. Avoid digging into the pith. Chop the zest into thin strips .
Just before serving, add the hemp seeds, lemon strips, lemon juice and a grind of pepper to the bean mixture and toss to mix. Serve the salad at room temperature. Serves 4.
Lentil Soup with Homemade Turkey Stock - Amazingly Delicious Soup
Thanksgiving: THE best time to make the turkey stock.
That roasted turkey carcass, will make an extraordinary rich delicious poultry broth.
Chop up that carcass or pull it apart so that it fits into your biggest pot. Cover it with water, enough so it’s covered by an inch or so of water. Bring it to a simmer. Skim off anything that rises to the top that you wouldn’t want to eat if you saw it floating in a bowl of soup. Cook for about two hours then add a couple carrots and a couple big onions, cut up, celery, parsely, thyme, garlic, bay, peppercorns, these are good to add as well, and continue cooking for another hour. Strain through a colander. Then, strain it through a kitchen cloth, cheese cloth if you have it, or any kind of cloth. Now it’s ready to use. Great to try a consomme with. Make a risotto. Any soup or souce. And it freezes great.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 cups homemade turkey stock
- 1 cup smoked turkey, diced
- 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed well and drained
- 1/2 cup split peas, picked over and rinsed
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- thyme sprigs (optional)
Directions:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, smoked turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
Stir in the homemade turkey stock, the lentils, split peas, potatoes, paprika, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir in the thyme.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Serve immediately.
