Japanese Dragon Salad

Ingredients

2 carrots

3 eggs

3 potatoes

2 herring fillets

1 beetroot

1 can green peas

Soy sauce

Mayonnaise

Garlic

9% vinegar

Pepper

Salt

It's best to prepare the carrots, beets, and herring for the salad in advance, preferably a day before, as this will make the salad much more harmonious.

Grate the carrots, salt, season with the pepper mixture and vinegar, and let it sit. In a separate bowl, grate the raw beets in the same way as the carrots, also season with the pepper mixture and vinegar. Let it sit for a couple of hours, or better yet, a day. This will make Korean-style carrots and beets. Now simmer them in a hot oven for 3-5 minutes until soft (do not fry!).

Boil the potatoes and eggs in separate bowls and let cool. Fillet the herring and cut into small pieces. Taste the herring; it should be lightly salted. If it's too salty, you'll ruin the whole salad.

Pour 1 teaspoon of soy sauce over the herring and let it sit for a few hours. Taste it; if it's too salty, rinse off some of the sauce with boiled water and discard the water.

Arrange the salad on a platter, layering lettuce leaves underneath, to create the shape and appearance of a dragon. Between the layers, spread garlic mayonnaise (to taste); homemade mayonnaise is best.

Layer 1: Korean-style carrots.

Layer 2: Hard-boiled eggs, grated on a coarse grater. This layer can be omitted, but it makes the salad more tender and holds its shape better. Insert a red bell pepper mouth into the dragon.

3rd layer: herring fillet in soy sauce.

4th layer: grated boiled potatoes. Make the dragon's mustache from potato strips.

5th layer: Korean-style beets.

6th layer: green peas or chopped walnuts (do not mix). Let it sit for 2-3 hours in a cool place under plastic wrap.

Before serving, decorate the dragon's face, paws, and tail. Add mayonnaise for teeth. You can add fresh cucumber, arrange the slices like scales, or insert them vertically along the dragon's spine—use your imagination.

Do not add any additional salt. The salad will be spicy and fiery.

Bon appétit!