Russian Cookbook

8 small new potatoes, peeled
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh horseradish
1 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves
250g pickled herrings or 2 cans (125g each) sardines, drained
1 can (425g) sliced beetroot, drained
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Pepper, to taste

Cook the potatoes and eggs in boiling water over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs and plunge into cold water to cool. Continue boiling the potatoes until tender - about 10-15 minutes more.

Drain the potatoes, slice them 5mm cube , and place in a medium-sized bowl.

Shell and quarter the eggs, then set aside.

Combine the sour cream, horseradish, dill and pepper in a small bowl. Spoon half the dressing over the potatoes and toss until lightly coated.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter and mound the remaining dressing in the center.

Arrange the potatoes, herrings, eggs and beetroot decoratively around the sauce. Separate the onion into rings and scatter over all.

500 g hake fillets
1 cup fish (chicken) stock
1 bay leaf
500 g cooked potatoes, halved
1 red (bell) pepper, seeded and diced
2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
½ cucumber, unpeeled and diced
3-5 large red lettuce leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

½ cup Greek (strained plain) yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons capers

To garnish

2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Put the hake fillets in a large, shallow pan with the fish stock and bay leaf. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and poach the fish gently for about 10 minutes until it flakes easily. Leave it to cool, then remove the skin and bones, and separate the flesh into large flakes.

Put the baby new potatoes in a bowl with the red pepper, spring onions and cucumber. Gently stir in the flaked hake and season with salt and pepper.

Make the dressing by stirring all the ingredients together in a bowl or jug. Season and spoon or pour over the salad. Toss gently.

Place a lettuce leaf on each plate and spoon the salad over it. Mix the finely chopped hard-boiled eggs for the garnish with the dill. Sprinkle the mixture over each salad.

Note:

You may also use halibut, sole or cod.

2 cucumbers
4 ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt, pepper, to taste

Allow sliced cucumbers to drain for an hour on paper toweling. Combine all ingredients and serve immediately.