Herring gratin

Preparation time: 1 ½ hours - cooking time: 20 + 20 minutes - serves 6

Ingredients: 1 kg. potatoes, 6 smoked herrings, sour cream, salt, pepper, garden herbs.

Soak the herrings for an hour in tepid water which is changed regularly. Thewplace them in a little bit of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for six minutes on a moderate fire. Cook the pota­toes in their jackets. Peel and mash them, then add the sour cream, the chopped garden herbs and some pepper and salt.

Grease a gratin dish with butter. Put a bed of puree in it and spread diced herring evenly (after having removed the bones) on top. Alternate a layer of puree with a layer of herrings finishing with the puree. Portion out dabs of butter. Put in a hot oven and serve when a brown crust has formed (20 minutes).