Polish Layered Herring Salad {Śledź pod Pierzynką}

Anna

7 years ago

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Polish Layered Herring Salad {Śledź pod Pierzynką}

Śledź pod pierzynką [shledge pohd pye-gi-nkow] in Polish means “herring under a feather blanket”. This is due to the lightness and softness of this salad. Layered Herring Salad is made of layers of shredded boiled vegetables cut with creamy mayo and herbs. There are a few versions of it that I know, all involve a serving of pungent herring. Today, besides herring I’m presenting the version made of layers of potatoes, carrots and eggs.

This delicious salad will often be served on Tuesday before Lent (know as śledzik – little herring) as Poles celebrate the last of carnival, and also in many homes for Easter. This is an advanced salad, as far as flavor. Herring fillets used here are strong-tasting and provide most of the saltiness to the salad, but when paired with the mixture of mild potatoes, carrots and eggs it becomes a perfectly balanced dish. It is one of my favorite ways to eat herring.

Polish Layered Herring Salad {Śledź pod Pierzynką}

Yields: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

16 oz / 460 g of herring fillets*
3 medium potatoes
3 medium carrots
5 eggs
1 c / 235 ml of mayonnaise
Parsley or dill
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Place herring in a large bowl with a quart / liter of cold water and let soak for 2 hours. Change water out every 30 minutes. Once done, place on paper towels and pat dry. Mince fillets and set aside.
Wash potatoes and peel carrots. Boil both (together is fine) in salted water until soft, then cool completely. Once cool, peel potatoes and set aside until ready to assemble the layers. Hard boil eggs, set aside to cool.
In a glass dish (with a wide bottom so you can see the layers - I'm using a 7 cup / 1650 ml dish), place minced herring on the bottom and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with pepper. Next, with the back of a spoon spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise over the layer of herring.
Next, on the largest side of a box grater, grate potatoes over the herring layer and gently spread evenly. Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on the top of potato layer and, with the back of a spoon, spread it evenly. Sprinkle with a bit of pepper and about a tablespoon of minced parsley.
Next layer will be carrots. On the largest side of a box grater, grate carrots over potato layer and spread evenly. Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to the top, and with the back of a spoon, spread it evenly. Sprinkle with a bit of pepper and about a tablespoon of minced parsley.
Next layer is the egg layer. Peel eggs and grate over the carrot layer. As with the layers before, cover with a layer of mayo. Lastly sprinkle with parsley.
This layered salad will not be mixed. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

*Salted (not pickled) herring called "herring a la Matias" will work best. To enjoy this salad properly, one must reach through all layers and scoop out a serving. Herring is rather salty, so use judgement before adding more salt.

Enjoy and smacznego!

Anna

* every respecting Polish deli/grocery will carry herring fillets in oil. They are called “Filety a la Matias” and they are preserved in salt and packaged in oil. If you don’t have access to a Polish deli, you can purchase them here. An unopened package will last in the fridge for months. If you don’t use both packages right away, they will be fine for a long time. Here are a recipe for another dish you can prepare with them: śledź w śmietanie and śledź w oleju. I will be posting more soon. If you don’t like strong tasting fish, substitute with a milder cooked fish of choice.