Herring under a fur coat

Herring under a fur coat (or “dressed herring”, Rus. «cелёдка под шубой») is a favourite traditional salad for New Year and Christmas celebrations in Russia, and often decorates the table on special occasions both in Russia and in many post-Soviet countries. This bright multi layer dish should be made the night before the supposed consumption, and put into the fridge overnight (or for at least 8 hours). This way all the layers will get soaked mixing the flavours, and basic ingredients will become absolutely unrecognizable in the final version. Potatoes will smooth the saltiness of the herring, the apple will add a refreshing taste and the onions – a kick to it.

This is one of the dishes which you love or hate, so the question is – do you dare to try it out? I can guarantee you though that every single Russian person loves this salad to bits. Some of my foreign friends where puzzled when they tried this salad for the first time. When they tried it for the second time they seemed to enjoy it more and be more open-minded.

Note: Shape of the bowl: the bottom should be flat. You can see in some supermarket boiled and grated beetroots and finely chopped onions – grab those, they will save you great deal of time.