селедка под шубой - Herring under a fur coat.

Selyodka pod shouboy otherwise known as herring under a fur coat is the

most beautiful salad I've ever seen. The first time I saw this was in a little

Cafe on Nevsky Prospekt in St Petersburg. We'd spent the day exploring

the Peterhoff Palace, comparable only to Versaille with its ornamentation

and gilded statuary.

Such things make me hungry. Our Russian guide and friend Olga

recommended a cafe for our arrival back in the city. I ordered

chicken and a slice of what looked like purple cake, while my

friends and travel companions Emma and Mike waited.

The purple cake turned out to be Herring under a fur coat and here's

how you make it.

Par boiled, grated potato

Salted herring fillets 

Spring onions

Grated carrots

Boiled eggs

Grated Beetroots

Mayonaise

Spread the potato on a plate followed by the herring and spring onion.

Cover this layer in mayonnaise. Add the layers in order of the list above

and photos and cover each time in mayonnaise. Leave over night for the

beetroot juices to run through each layer turning the whole thing purple.

Serve in slices like a cake.