Here’s A Herring Under a Fur Coat Recipe For The New Year’s Table!
If you’re looking for a timeless, colorful appetizer that is sure to turn heads, Herring Under a Fur Coat is a dish you have to try.
This dish – also known as “Shuba” – is layer upon layer of pickled herring, cooked vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes), onions, and lots of creamy mayonnaise.
Herring Under a Fur Coat is typically eaten at New Year’s as an appetizer – known as zakuski in Russian – along with other classic dishes like Mimosa Salad and Olivier Salad!
This salad is a traditional dish in Russia as well as in other countries such as Belarus and Ukraine. It also has a few cousins in other countries, such as Sillsallad in Sweden and Roter Heringssalat in Germany.
Shuba – the Russian term for a fur coat – lends its name to this version of the dish because the herring looks like it is wearing many layers – as if it’s wearing a fur coat!
Ingredients
To make this tasty fur coat salad, here are the ingredients that you will need:
- Beetroot – Cooked and peeled. Either buy cooked beets or cook them yourself.
- Carrots – Cooked and peeled.
- Potatoes – Boiled and peeled. Use waxy potatoes for a firmer texture.
- Herring fillets – Use good quality herring, preferably boneless fillets.
- Onion – Yellow onion. It will be soaked in water to lose some of its sharpness.
- Mayonnaise – Adds creaminess and richness to the salad. The quality of the mayo is very important.
- Apple cider vinegar – To soak the onions.
- Salt – To soak the onions.
- Sugar – To soak the onions.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you make this shuba salad, take a moment to read through these recipe tips so that you know just what to expect!
- You can make individual servings or one shared bowl of Shuba salad. If you want to make a large bowl, double the recipe.
- Don’t overcook the beets, carrots, and potatoes as this makes them difficult to grate and also affects the texture of the salad.
- Some people add boiled eggs and apples to their herring under a fur coat salad.
- You can change the order of the layers and start with the potatoes instead of the herring.
- Make sure that the herring fillets are deboned for the best eating experience.
- The taste of the salad depends largely on the mayonnaise – choose a mayonnaise with high or medium fat content.
- You can garnish the salad with some fresh parsley before serving.
How to Make Herring Under A Fur Coat – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, you can see exactly how to make this herring under a fur coat. We’ve included all of the recipe process photos so that you can have a visual reference when you’re making it at home.
Of course, you can also find the recipe card with all the details at the bottom of the post.
First, peel and finely chop the onion. Then soak it to get rid of some of the bitterness.
Place the chopped onion in a bowl, and add water, apple cider vinegar, salt and sugar. Stir well and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Cut the herring fillet into small pieces, discarding any bones.
You can prepare the salad in a large shared bowl or in individual portions. For the individual servings, you can use metal molds to shape the salad into a cylinder.
We’re going to make single serving size Shuba salads. If you are making the salad in a large bowl, follow the same steps but don’t divide the ingredients.
Arrange the herring in a single layer.
Drain the soaked onions and place 2 teaspoons of the onions on top of the herring. Spread a little bit of mayonnaise on top of the onion layer.
Grate the potatoes and layer them over the herring and onion. Press down lightly and spread mayonnaise on top.
Grate the carrots and add them as the next layer. Spread more mayonnaise on top.
Grate the beets and add them as the final layer. Spread with mayonnaise and refrigerate the salad for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Some people find that this salad tastes better the next day.
If you want to make just one bowl of dressed herring salad instead of individual servings, then you’d follow the same steps and it would look like something in the photo above.
Depending on the size of your bowl and how many people are going to eat the salad, you may want to double the recipe.
Enjoy your shuba salad!
Storage Tips
If you have leftover dressed herring, it needs to be refrigerated because it contains fish and mayonnaise. You can cover it with plastic wrap or a lid.
Some people say that this salad tastes better the next day anyway and make it a day in advance. Properly stored, the salad will last for about 2-3 days in the fridge.
That said, it’s best eaten fresh, so don’t make it ahead of time and freeze it.
FAQ
Herring under a fur coat is a Russian layered salad made with pickled herring, vegetables like cooked carrots, beets, potatoes, and lots of mayonnaise. It is a colorful appetizer dish enjoyed around New Year’s and is also known as “Shuba” – the Russian name for a fur coat.
Related Recipes
If you liked this recipe for Shuba, try these other classic Russian recipes for soups, side dishes, and salads:
- Olivier Salad
- Mimosa Salad (Layered Salad)
- Russian Vinaigrette Salad
- Buckwheat Porridge w/ Mushrooms
- Russian Pickle Soup (Rassolnik)
Herring Under A Fur Coat (Shuba)
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 beetroots, cooked and peeled
- 2 medium carrots, cooked and peeled
- 2 medium potatoes, cooked and peeled
- 2 salted herring fillets
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup water, approximately
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the onion. To remove some of the bitterness, place the chopped onion in a bowl, and add the water, apple cider vinegar, salt and sugar. Stir well and let the onions soak for 15 minutes.
- Cut the herring fillet into small pieces, removing any bones. You can prepare the salad in a large shared bowl, or in individual servings. For individual servings, you can use metal molds to shape the salad into a cylinder. If you are making the salad in a shared serving bowl, follow the same steps, but don't divide the ingredients.
- Place down the small pieces of herring as the first layer.
- Strain the marinated onions and spoon 2 teaspoons of onion per serving on top of the herring. Spread with mayonnaise.
- Grate the potatoes and layer them over the herring and onion. Press down lightly and spread mayonnaise on top.
- Grate the carrots and add them as the next layer. Spread more mayonnaise on top.
- Grate the beets and add them as the final layer. Spread with mayonnaise and refrigerate the salad for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.
Notes
- You can make individual servings or one shared serving bowl of Shuba salad. If you want to make a large bowl, double the recipe.
- Don’t overcook the beets, carrots, and potatoes since it would make it difficult to grate them and also affect the texture of the salad.
- Some people add boiled eggs and apples to their herring under a fur coat salad.
- You can change the order of the layers and start with the potatoes instead of the herring.
- Make sure that the herring fillets are deboned properly for the best eating experience.
- The taste of the salad depends largely on the mayonnaise – choose a mayonnaise with high or medium fat content.
- You can garnish the salad with some fresh parsley before serving.
- Some people say this salad tastes better the next day so you can make it the day before and store it in the fridge, covered with a lid or plastic wrap, until ready to serve.Â
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
This is one of variations and, definitely, my least favorite. There is no need for such ingredients like vinegar, sugar and onions. I’m using herring, beets, potatoes, carrots and boiled eggs in the same order I listed. Finely chopped eggs on top make it look beautiful and add nice taste. Don’t forget generous amount of mayo between all layers but herring and beets, and you will have delicious “shuba”.
Thanks for your comment. As with many recipes, there are different variations. There’s definitely “no need” to add onions (the sugar and vinegar are just used to remove some of the bitterness of the onions), but it’s an option for people who like onions. There are other options, like your version, for people who don’t.
in sweden they have similar dishes called smörgås torta