UKRAINIAN HERRING SHUBA (LAYERED VEGETABLE AND FISH SALAD)

Since I always make Shuba for major holiday celebrations, and with Easter just around the corner, I thought this would be great timing to make good on my promise to post this scrumptious, must-have recipe. Either version, it's a fantastic time to give it a try if it is new to you. I hope you like it as well!

INGREDIENTS

3 large – russet potatoes
6 large – eggs
2 extra-large (1lb. or 454 g) – carrots
2 extra-large (2 lbs. or 1 kg) – dark red beets
1 cup (232 g) – Homemade Mayonnaise
½ of medium – organic yellow onion
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1.5 lbs. (700 g) – herring fish

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse potatoes well. Rinse and cut carrots into smaller pieces. Place carrots and potatoes into a medium pot. Add water and 1 tbsp. (15 g) salt. Rinse and cut off the top and the root of each beet. Cut each beat in half for faster cooking. Place beets into a separate medium pot; add water and 1 tbsp. (15 g) salt. Cook potatoes and carrots in boiling water for 25 minutes or until knife-tender. Hard boil 6 eggs.
Cook beets in boiling water for 35 – 40 minutes or until knife-tender. Drain the water from each pot and transfer all cooked vegetables and hard boiled eggs onto a large plate to cool in refrigerator. (TIP: Refrigerate vegetables and eggs for at least 4 hours to make them firmer and much easier to grate.)
Once vegetables and eggs are cooled, peel the potatoes, carrots, and beets. Peel and rinse eggs.
Rinse herring fillets under warm running water, place them in a strainer for excess water to drain.
Dice herring fillets.
Spread it evenly over the bottom of a deep casserole dish. (Tip: Grate ½ of a potato and spread it underneath the diced herring to keep the fish from too much sliding, due to the oil content. This is optional but helps keep the fish layer and slices from falling apart when removing from the dish.) It may be assembled in any deep dish you desire. Chop onion and sprinkle ½ tsp. sea salt and ¼ tsp. black ground pepper over chopped onions. Mix together (this causes onion to release the gas before it gets to your stomach, preventing burping and aftertaste, but still keeps the onion flavor). Then spread seasoned onion evenly over herring.
Grate cooked potatoes and spread out evenly over onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper over grated potato to taste. Then add ½ cup mayonnaise and slather it out evenly over grated potato, gently pressing down with the spoon to pack tightly.
Grate eggs and spread them out over mayonnaise. Then grate carrots and spread it over mayo. (TIP: Packing down while spreading vegetables and mayo helps prevent shuba from falling apart when slicing.) Sprinkle salt and pepper over carrots to taste.
Finally, grate beets and spread them out evenly over carrots in the same way. Sprinkle salt and pepper over beets to taste. Add the second half cup of mayonnaise and spread it over the beets. The juice of the beets will bleed into the mayonnaise, coloring it that bright purple color we're so fond of.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (to overnight) for the salad to chill and firm up.
Enjoy!

Source:valyastasteofhome.com