Selyodka Pod Shuboy — Russian Herring Under a Fur Coat Salad

Rinse the beets and boil them, unpeeled, in a separate pot with enough water to cover for 50–55 minutes, until a knife slides into the center without resistance. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and carrots, unpeeled, in another pot for 20–25 minutes. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, then transfer them to cold water. Vegetables boiled with their skins on do not absorb water; peeled potatoes would turn into a wet paste when grated.

Peel the vegetables and eggs once they have cooled completely. Coarsely grate the potatoes, carrots, and beets into separate bowls, and finely grate the eggs. Gently squeeze excess juice from the beets by hand.

Use tweezers to remove the fine pin bones along the back of the herring fillet, then cut it into 1 cm cubes. Finely chop the onion, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes, and drain it; this mellows its sharpness so it does not overpower the herring.

Place a 22 cm cake ring on a flat serving plate, or shape an oval base by hand. Layer the herring and onion, potatoes with a thin layer of mayonnaise, carrots and mayonnaise, eggs, then beets and the remaining mayonnaise. Smooth each layer with the back of a spoon without pressing it down. Spread the mayonnaise thinly; it should show as a white line between layers in the cross-section.

Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the chilled salad ring and lift it off. Sprinkle dill on top. Slice with a wet knife; the pink, yellow, orange, and white layers should remain distinct in the cross-section.