Herring Under a Fur Coat

Name: Herring Under a Fur Coat
Ingredients: 2 small herrings (or 1 large); 500 g potatoes; 500 g carrots; 500 g beets; 100 g onion; 4 eggs; 250 g mayonnaise; salt

This ingredient list makes a large dish of herring under a fur coat — perfect for a festive gathering. If you're making it on a weekday, you can easily cut all the quantities in half. For this recipe, it's best to use regular barrel-cured herring (packed in brine). In my opinion, using ready-made herring fillets in oil noticeably dulls the flavor of the finished dish because of the oil and spices. In many regions of the former Soviet Union, the salad is made with apples instead of eggs. I personally prefer the version with eggs — to my taste, it comes out more delicate. If you'd like to make it with apples, simply replace the egg layer with a layer of grated apples.

Ingredients:

2 small herrings (or 1 large)
500 g potatoes
500 g carrots
500 g beets
100 g onion
4 eggs
250 g mayonnaise
salt

How to cook herring under a fur coat

Cook the beets in a pot for 1–2 hours (depending on the variety and size of the beets). Let cool.

Cook the potatoes and carrots in salted water for 30–40 minutes (a knife should slide through the vegetables easily). Let cool.

Boil the eggs for 10 minutes from the moment the water comes to a boil. Cool them down by covering with cold water.

Prepare the herring. Cut off the head, slice open along the belly, and clean out the innards. Rinse the herring thoroughly inside and out. Then make a cut along the back, removing the dorsal fin at the same time. Gripping the skin firmly from the head end, carefully pull and peel the skin off like a glove all the way down to the tail (as shown in the photo). Repeat on the other side. Then remove all remaining fins and the tail.

Cut the herring along the back and split it into two halves. Remove the backbone along with the rib bones.

Carefully inspect and remove all remaining rib bones (as shown in the photo), as well as any other bones you can find.

Cut the herring fillets into small pieces.

Peel the potatoes and grate on a medium grater.

Peel the eggs and grate on a medium grater.

Peel the carrots and grate on a medium grater.

Peel the beets and grate on a medium grater.

Peel the onion, chop finely, and place in a bowl. Pour boiling water over it, let sit for a couple of minutes, then drain (this is done to mellow the onion's sharpness and remove any bitterness).

Take a large flat serving dish (mine has an inner diameter of 20 cm) or use two smaller plates to make two separate salads. If your mayonnaise comes in a bag, snip a very small corner off. If it's in a jar, transfer it to a bag and snip a small corner off. Start layering the ingredients on the dish. Spread out the potatoes, season with salt, and drizzle mayonnaise evenly over the top (I didn't spread the mayonnaise with a spoon to avoid flattening the layers — this keeps the salad lighter and more delicate).