Herring under a fur coat (shuba)

Herring under a fur coat – now there’s an original name for a salad… Chopped herring is buried beneath layers of vegetables and cooked egg, as snug and warm as if it were under a fur coat.

Having looked at a number of recipes online, I chose this version because it seemed relatively light, with just a thin spread of mayonnaise on top, instead of each layer.

Some people make a large mound of salad and decorate it (similar to salata de boeuf), while others create individual portions using ring molds. I liked the idea of making it in a glass bowl so you could see the layers. Kind of like a herring trifle…;-)

We’re lucky to have a great Russian deli just down the road which sells pretty much every Eastern European ingredient you might need (including fresh herring under a fur coat, actually).

I was able to buy salted herring fillets there. Otherwise I would have used those jars of pickled herring you can buy in the deli section of the supermarket, or at IKEA.

Herring under a fur coat (shuba)
(serves 4)

• 3 medium waxy potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 medium beetroot
• 3 salted herring fillets in oil (about 200g)
• 1/2 a small red onion, minced
• a small bunch of fresh dill, leaves only, chopped
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 eggs
• salt

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots in one pot, and the beets in another, until just tender. Cool, peel and grate into separate bowls.
2. Dice the herring fillets, and toss with the red onion and a couple of tablespoons of the dill.
3. Hard boil the eggs, cool, peel and separate the whites from the yolks. Push the whites through a sieve into a bowl. Clean the sieve, then sieve the yolks into a separate bowl.
4. Mix a couple of tablespoons of grated beetroot into the mayonnaise.
5. Spread a layer of potato in the bottom of a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Cover with a layer of chopped herring. Add a layer of grated carrot, then season again.
7. Add a layer of grated beetroot, then top with the beetroot mayonnaise.
8. If you aren’t serving the salad immediately, cover and refrigerate until needed.
9. Decorate the top of the salad with the egg yolks, whites and remaining dill.

Family score: 6 out of 10

Tags: beets, carrots, dill, eggs, gluten-free, herring, potatoes