2nicely sized herrings, fillets separated 2beets, peeled, grated, and boiled 1large carrot, peeled, grated, and boiled 1sour apple, peeled, cored, and cut into thin long pieces 3medium onions, chopped small 2hard-boiled eggs, chopped 4-5potatoes, peeled, cubed, and boiled lots of mayonnaise (you can use soy mayo if you're so health-conscious)
Chop the herring fillets into small pieces and arrange half of the pieces as a dense layer in a large dish, so you cannot see the dish's bottom.
Over the herring, place a layer of onions (using about half), then a layer of potatoes, then layers of carrots, apple, and beets. Spread some mayonnaise on top.
Over the beets, layer the rest of the herring, then the remaining onions, then potatoes, carrots, apple, and beets.
Finally, add a generous dallop of mayonnaise and spread it over the 'pie.' Crumble the eggs, both yolks and whites, over the top, and refrigerate before serving.
Some people have been known to add layers of walnuts and prunes, but I personally have never tried that--experiment at your own risk.
Jake Marmer is a poet and performer, living in New York City. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at CUNY Graduate Center. You can find more of his work at jakemarmer.wordpress.com.
