Herring under a fur coat (Selyodka pod shuboy)

1. Boil the beetroot, potatoes and carrots separately in their skins until tender (or roast the beetroot in foil) and hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes; cool everything completely and peel.

2. Cut the herring fillets into small cubes; chop the onion very finely, put it in a little water mixed with the vinegar for 10 minutes, then drain – this mellows it.

3. Layer on a flat plate or in a springform ring: first the herring, then the onion, then the grated potato; spread each layer thinly with mayonnaise.

4. Next comes the grated carrot, mayonnaise, the grated egg (set the yolks aside), mayonnaise, and finally the grated beetroot, coated with a thicker layer of mayonnaise.

5. Chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so the layers come together and the beetroot stains the mayonnaise pink.

6. Before serving, remove the ring and garnish the top with the grated egg yolks; serve in slices.

Tip: An essential salad on the Russian New Year's Eve table; the "fur coat" is the purple beetroot layer that wraps the herring like a winter coat.