Herring Under a Fur Coat with Provençal Sauce

⏳ Time

50 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Herring Under a Fur Coat, like some other popular "mayonnaise" appetizers, emerged relatively recently — about fifty years ago. The first written mention of it can be found in culinary literature from the 1960s. Interestingly, in those early recipes, it was made not with mayonnaise, but with sour cream. Among older recipes, the closest to Herring Under a Fur Coat is a dish called "Herring Appetizer" by a renowned chef from that era. There are rumors that the dish, in the form we know it today, migrated to Great and Little and White Russia from the Baltic region. However, no one knows for sure.

Ingredients

Iwashi herring - 1 piece
Onion - 1 head
Chicken Egg - 3 pieces
Carrot - 1 piece
Potato - 8.8 oz
Beetroot - 10.6 oz
Whole egg - 2 pieces
Olive Oil - 7 fl oz
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Mustard Greens - 1 tablespoon
Vinegar essence - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

First, prepare the Provençal sauce, or as it is more commonly known now – mayonnaise. In a bowl, add the egg yolks, a teaspoon of mustard, a tablespoon of sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly. Gradually pour in the olive oil, a few drops at a time, while continuously whisking with a whisk or using a mixer. Once the oil is incorporated, add the remaining oil in a thin stream, continuing to whisk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar and mix well. If necessary, add more salt. Refrigerate the sauce.

Step 2

It's best to use barrel-cured herring of regular salting. It's not a problem if it's heavily salted; there's no need to soak it. We'll play on the contrast between the salty fish and the fresh vegetables. Boil the potatoes with their skins on. Wrap the beetroot and carrots in foil and roast them in the oven until fully cooked.

Step 3

Grate the potatoes, carrots, and beets using a coarse grater or chop them finely with a knife. Finely chop the onions, boiled eggs, and dill. Cut the herring into slightly larger pieces, about one centimeter in size. Place the chopped onions in a sieve and pour boiling water over them to remove the excess sharpness.

Step 4

Grease the bottom of the dish where the layers will be placed with vegetable oil. Remove the sauce from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before use to allow it to warm up and become thinner.

Step 5

The order of the layers is as follows: beetroot, onion, herring, potato, carrot, egg, and then beetroot again. However, other variations are possible. The only rule to follow is that the herring should be closer to the bottom, and the top layer should always be beetroot. Each layer should be drizzled with a thin stream of sauce and spread using a tablespoon. You can lightly drizzle the top layer of beetroot with vegetable oil for a "glossy" finish. If the herring is lightly salted, it is advisable to sprinkle each layer of vegetables and eggs with a little salt.

Step 6

Let the assembled salad sit at room temperature for a couple of hours to allow the dressing to soak into the layers, then refrigerate for 12 to 15 hours.