Solyanka for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Solyanka for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The rich and dairy-forward profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced pickled vegetables used that way before.

Russian New Year table is the most important annual food event, laden with Olivier salad, herring under fur coat, and other Soviet-era staples. I explained the a dacha summer kitchen context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. kefir was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.