Shuba (Herring Under a Fur Coat)

Ingredients

• 300g salted herring fillets, diced small
• 4 medium potatoes, boiled and cooled
• 3 medium carrots, boiled and cooled
• 2 medium beets, boiled and cooled
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 300g mayonnaise
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill, for serving

Before you cook

• Boil the potatoes, carrots and beets separately until tender, then cool and peel them.
• Hard-boil the eggs, then cool and peel them.
• Grate the potatoes, carrots, beets and eggs separately on a box grater, keeping each in its own bowl.
• Rinse the diced herring briefly under cold water if it tastes very salty, then pat dry.

Steps

1. Spread the diced herring in an even layer across the bottom of a serving dish.
2. Scatter the diced red onion evenly over the herring.
3. Layer the grated potato over the onion, pressing it flat.
4. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the potato layer.
5. Layer the grated carrot over the mayonnaise, pressing it flat.
6. Spread another thin layer of mayonnaise over the carrot.
7. Layer the grated egg over the mayonnaise, pressing it flat.
8. Spread a final thin layer of mayonnaise over the egg.
9. Layer the grated beet over the top, covering the dish completely and pressing it flat.
10. Spread the remaining mayonnaise in a thin, even layer over the beet so no red shows through.
11. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the layers set.
12. Scatter the chopped dill over the top just before serving.