Herring Potato and Egg Salad (Latvian Selyodka Pod Shuboy)

In Poland and Germany, herring is considered a bearer of good fortune. In this Latvian recipe, salt-cured herring becomes a lavish centerpiece when layered with apples and a sour cream and mayonnaise dressing.

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
3 filets salted herring, rinsed and roughly chopped
½ small yellow onion, minced
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled, grated
3 medium boiled carrots, grated
6 eggs, hard-boiled, whites and yolks separated, each passed through a fine strainer
½ Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and grated
2 medium beets, boiled, peeled and grated
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

Garnish:
carrot rose

Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Place herring in the bottom of a shallow 1½ qt oval dish, and top with 1⁄3 dressing. Sprinkle onions on top, then cover with grated potatoes. Top potatoes with carrots and ½ the remaining dressing.

Combine half the sieved egg yolks and half the sieved whites in a small bowl, then spread over dressing. Top with apples, then beets. Spread remaining dressing over beets to cover. Create three even rows across top of salad with remaining egg yolks and three rows with remaining whites; fill in gaps with rows of dill.

Garnish with a carrot rose, if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings.