»Smørrebrød«: Danish style open sandwich
A selection of Smørrebrød as I would serve them at home for guest Sunday Lunch! Enjoy!
This Danish tradition dates back to the 19th century. When working in the fields, farmers would bring rye bread with a spread of either butter or fat for their lunch break. Later on, workers started putting leftovers from dinner such as boiled potatoes, fish, or cold cuts on top of the rye bread. From there on the »smørrebrød« developed. In the 1920s the sandwiches started to by very elaborated and were served at parties at home, or at restaurants. It was, for example, very popular to have »smørrebrød« after attending shows at the theater, and restaurants with dancing would serve »smørrebrød« because it took less time to eat them than a normal hot meal, which meant more time to dance.
»Smørrebrød« is served with cold beer and aquavit, and especially »smørrebrød« with herrings are often enjoyed with a shot glass of ice-cold aquavit!
All »smørrebrød« is served on top of rye bread, or with rye bread on the side. Just start with herrings or fish, then move on to meat, and if you have room left finish with cheese. Normally you can eat 2 to 3 pieces; that is what we call them: pieces of »smørrebrød«. Order to share if you want to taste lots of different variants.
Fish fillet with shrimps and basil cream
Serves 4
Basil cream:
1 bunch of basil, finely chopped
1 handful of parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
200 ml crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 plaice or flounder fillets
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
60 g rye flour
25 g butter for frying
4 large leaves of lettuce
100 g shrimps
4 slices of rye bread
4 slices of lime
Mix basil and parsley in a bowl, then pour in the lime juice and at last add the crème fraîche. Mix well and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper
Mix salt and pepper with the rye flour on a plate. Coat the fillets in rye flour, making sure they are thoroughly coated. Sauté the fillets in butter for 3 minutes on each side in a frying pan. Put them aside and let them cool down a little.
Place the slices of rye bread on a serving dish. Place the lettuce on each slice, then add a fish fillet, basil cream and at last shrimps. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Chicken salad with lovage
Serves 4
1 chicken
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
4 lovage stems
2 tbsp crème fraîche 18%
2 tbsp mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 big lettuce leaves
4 slices of rye bread
Pick the leaves from the stems of lovage and set them aside. Put the chicken in a pot with salt, peppercorns and the lovage stems. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to boil. Cover the pot with a lid and leave the chicken to simmer for 1–1½ hour. When finished remove the skin and peel the chicken meat of the bones, discarding skin and bones.
Chop the reserved lovage leaves, save some for garnish, and mix them with crème fraîche and mayonnaise. Add the chicken meat and carefully fold together. At last season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the rye bread on a serving dish, place a lettuce leave and plenty of chicken salad on each slice. Garnish with chopped lovage leaves.
VARIATION Add slices of cucumber and tomatoes to the salad if you like.
Roast beef with pesto and beetroots
Serves 4
Pesto:
1 big bunch of basil
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
40 g parmesan
50 ml olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 boiled and peeled beetroots
1 tbsp capers
4 slices of rye bread
4 lettuce leaves
12 big slices of roast beef
Start by making the pesto: put basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil in a blender, and blend to a smooth paste, then season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Dice the beetroots into small cubes and mix them with the capers.
Place the rye bread on a serving dish, first place a lettuce leave, then 3 slices of roast beef, then some pesto and at last the beetroots on each slice.
Egg and tomato with avocado cream
Serves 4
Avocado cream:
1 avocado
2 tbsp crème fraîche 18%
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 lettuce leaves
4 hardboiled sliced eggs
2 sliced tomatoes
1 bunch finely chopped chive
4 slices of rye bread
Mash the avocado using a fork, and mix with crème fraîche, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Place the rye bread on a serving dish, then place a lettuce leave, then the slices of hard boiled eggs, then place tomato slices on top of the eggs and finish with avocado cream. Garnish with chopped chives.
Shrimp salad
Serves 4
Shrimp salad:
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Greece yoghurt 10%
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp chopped chive
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp lumpfish roe
200 g shrimps
4 slices of rye bread
4 big leaves of crispy lettuce
dill for topping
Mix mayonnaise, yoghurt, dill, chive, lemon juice, salt and pepper and then carefully fold in the lumpfish roe and shrimps. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the rye bread on a serving dish, then place a leave of lettuce and there after the shrimp salad on each slice. Garnish with dill.
Chicken breast with pepperonata
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow pepper, cut into julienne
4 slices of rye bread
4 lettuce leaves
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and fry them in the oil in a frying pan for 8 minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan, add the yellow peppers, and fry it for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken breasts into slices.
Place the rye bread on a serving dish, place lettuce, slices of chicken breast on top of the lettuce and pepper on each slice.
VARIATION Instead of peppers you can use pesto and tomatoes.
Salmon and horseradish cream
Serves 4
Horseradish cream:
200 ml crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt 10%
2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp lime juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 crisp leaves of lettuce
4 slices of smokes salmon
1 little bunch of dill
8 slices rye bread
Mix all the ingredients to the horseradish cream, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the slices of bread on a serving dish, and then place the lettuce on top of the bread, a slice of salmon and horseradish cream on top. Finish with some dill on the top of the cream.
TIP
Instead of horseradish cream serve with pesto and slices of tomatoes.
Ham with scrambled egg
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
salt and freshly ground pepper
a little olive oil for frying
4 slices of rye bread
4 slices of boiled ham
1 little red onion, in thin slices
Beat the eggs, and then add milk, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan at low heat, pour the eggs into the pan, and cook very gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until they are sufficiently thickened. Then place them on a dish until they shall be used.
Place the rye bread on a serving dish, place a leave of lettuce, a slice of ham
and scrambled egg on each. At last place slices of red onion on the top.