Herring Under a Fur Coat

by Tatyana Meshcheryakova

I would like to continue the “Russian holiday salad swimming in mayo” streak by bringing up another Soviet fave, selyodka pod shuboj, translated literally as “herring under a fur coat.” Also called simply “dressed herring,” this recipe’s shining star is pickled herring under the layers of boiled vegetables and dressed with mayonnaise. It has to be salted pickled herring -- no sweet wine sauces please.

Here’s my mom’s recipe. Unlike some other Russian staples this dish doesn’t vary as much, so you probably won’t find a version of it calling for capers and pears (I did see a version with salmon instead of herring, but the traditional recipe calls for herring and herring only).

Selyodka Pod Shuboj

Ingredients
A tin of pickled salted herring. Mom insisted on “horoshaya,” or the “good” selyodka. So yes, high quality is the ticket. If you, like me, live where no Russian food is sold whatever the Whole Foods has to offer might do, as long as it’s salty, not sweet
1 yellow onion
2 boiled potatoes
Olive or corn oil (a tablespoon or so)
3 whole boiled beets
3 boiled carrots
1 boiled egg
Half a cup of grated cheese of your choice
Mayo (enough to coat the top of the whole dish)

Preparation

Cut the herring into small pieces (remove as many bones as possible). Spread on a large dish.

Cut the yellow onion into thin half-circles, spread on top of the herring.

Boil the potatoes in their skins (Don’t overboil; they need to stay firm), carrots, beets -- if you’re using fresh beets -- and the egg. Peel the egg, potatoes, beets and carrots. Cut the potatoes, beets and carrots into small cubes.

Put the potatoes on top of the onion and the herring.

Sprinkle olive or corn oil on top. Then put the beets on top of the potatoes, and the carrots next.

Spread a reasonable amount of mayonnaise on top (enough to cover the dish).

Grate the cheese and the egg. Put the egg on top of the mayo, and finally sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Let the dish stand unrefrigerated and “settle” for a couple of hours before serving.

Mom Tips:
1. If the herring is too salty, soak it before using for two hours in milk or black tea.
2. To keep the potatoes firm please don’t boil them for too long. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice in the boiling water with the potatoes.
3. Mom is OK with using canned beets.
4. You can sprinkle about half a cup of chopped green onions on top of the mayo, before you add the egg and the cheese.