MIXED SOLIANKA

At the end of the second world war my father escaped from Russia through Ukraine and all that is left is a small travel bag with letters I `m unable to read and black and white photos of  an unnamed family I never knew .
I know nothing of Russia  , my father only ever spoke of the hunger  and hardships endured , he escaped in hope of a free life but he was never to be free of  mental torment ... a result of the war.

In Australia Solianka is a soup made with fish fillet covered in a thick tomato puree with an onion and cucumber sauce then poached in a fish stock and served with chopped olives and capers.

At Castle Garden I serve a mixed solianka .

Boil a kilo marrow bones  with a smoked pork hock for 20 minutes in 9 cups of water  .
Refresh stock with an extra cup of water.
Add 2 red onions quartered
3 sliced carrots
2 stalks of celery chopped .
Simmer for 90 minutes.
Remove the marrow bones and  ham hock skin.
 Shred the ham hock meat.. set aside
Strain the broth and skim off fat.
To the broth add
2 sliced carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
Simmer for 10 minutes
In a separate pan saute 2 quartered  red onions before adding to the broth.
Now add 3 tbs of tomato paste.
Shredded ham hock
3 sliced Viennese franfurters
250gm of chopped  salami
250gm of chopped calf liver
250gm of chopped lamb kidney
Simmer gently for 10 minutes
Add a tsp of capers
4 chopped dill pickles
1 bay leaf
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Do not boil but gently simmer for 20 minutes
Add 5 black olives  ..pitted
1 tps of parsley
1 tbs of dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve in warmed bowls with wedges of lemon and a side of sour cream.