Ingredients
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3 large beets
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3 large potatoes
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4 large carrots
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1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
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1 medium red onion
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4 fillets pickled herring in oil
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4 hard boiled eggs
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black pepper
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2 hard boiled eggsoptional
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fresh dill or parsley
Directions
This dish with its amusing name is one of the favorite Russian foods for the holiday table. It’s a layered salad, made with salted herring, onions, boiled potatoes, carrots, beetroots, and mayo and decorated with grated boiled eggs. It’s a heavy dish, which requires chilling in the fridge for several hours prior to being served.
Grab a slice of this salad cake and let the harmony of tastes unfold in your mouth!
Preparation:
- In a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the beets and cook for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes. Add the carrots and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes. Add more boiling water to keep the vegetables covered, if needed.
- Drain the vegetables and let cool for 10 minutes before handling. While still warm, peel the potatoes, carrots, and beets. Set aside to cool completely.
- Shred the carrots and beets. Place in separate bowls.
- Finely chop the potatoes.
- On a pretty serving platter, place a ring mold or the ring from a springform pan. This salad can also be assembled free form in a round or oval shape or in a 13×9-inch pan.
- Place all of the chopped potatoes in the ring, covering the bottom. Pat carefully into an even layer. Spread 1/3 of the mayonnaise to completely cover the potatoes. Place half of the beets in a thin layer on top. Then add half of the carrots. Place half of the finely chopped onion on top of the carrot. Use all of the chopped pickled herring to cover the onions.
- Spread another 1/3 of the mayonnaise to cover the herring. Layer with the remaining carrots and then the onion. Add the chopped eggs on top. Sprinkle over black pepper to taste. Cover with the remaining mayonnaise. Add the rest of the beets. Carefully pack down the beets so there’s nothing else showing.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. When it’s time to serve, carefully remove the ring, if using, so the layers of the salad are shown.
- If desired, place the sliced hardboiled eggs on top of the salad to decorate it. Garnish with chopped dill or parsley, and serve.
