Smorrebrod is a traditional Danish dish that locals eat for lunch or dinner, replacing soups and main courses. Smorrebrod is an open sandwich made from rye bread and filling. Most often fish is used in this dish - herring, trout and salmon. Also in the recipes you can often find fresh vegetables, fatty cheeses, pates.
It is eaten exclusively with a knife and fork, since it is almost impossible to eat it with your hands. The way the Danish sandwich is consumed also suggests that it has gone from being a simple snack to a full meal.
Translated from Danish, the name of this dish means “spread bread”. The exact date of the origin of smorrebrod is unknown, but it gained popularity in 1888, when the wife of a Danish entrepreneur made this dish the hallmark of her wine bar. Since then, this northern appetizer fell in love with the locals, and they made it one of the main national dishes, which today has already become known outside their native country. We share the top 5 recipes for the original Danish sandwich.
Smorrebrod with salmon and cream cheese
Ingredients:
- Rye bread 4 slices
- Lightly salted salmon 150 g
- Cream cheese 100 g
- Fresh cilantro
- Salt
- Pepper
Cooking method:
Spread cream cheese evenly on each slice of rye bread. Top with salmon slices and cilantro leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Salmon in this recipe can be easily replaced with lightly salted trout or even chum salmon; this will practically not change the taste of the dish.
Smorrebrod with pickled herring and red onion
Ingredients:
- Rye bread 4 slices
- Pickled herring 10 pieces
- Soft cheese 50 g
- Vinegar 2 tablespoons
- Sugar 2 tsp
- Half a red onion
- Pepper
- Salt
Cooking method:
Spread soft cheese on each slice of bread. Top with pieces of herring and onions, pre-pickled in vinegar and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, garnish the finished dish with fresh cilantro or parsley leaves.
Smorrebrod with shrimps and cream cheese
Ingredients:
- Rye bread 4 slices
- Boiled shrimps 200 g
- Cream cheese 50 g
- Fresh cucumber 1 pc
- Pepper
- Salt
Cooking method:
Spread cream cheese on each slice of bread. Put whole shrimps on top, as well as fresh cucumber, cut into slices. Salt, pepper. If desired, the shrimp can be drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon juice mixture. Also, some chefs suggest adding half a quail egg to this recipe.
Smorrebrod with roast beef
Ingredients:
- Rye bread 4 slices
- Roast beef 150 g
- Mustard 1 tsp
- Homemade mayonnaise 2 tsp
- Pickled cucumber 1 pc.
Cooking method:
Mix mustard and homemade mayonnaise. Spread each slice of rye bread with the resulting sauce, top with slices of roast beef and pickled cucumber, cut into slices. If desired, sprinkle the finished dish with ground pepper.
Smorrebrod with asparagus and cream cheese
Ingredients:
- Rye bread with seeds 4 slices
- Asparagus 6 pcs.
- Cream cheese 50 g
- Pepper
- Salt
Cooking method:
Spread a layer of cream cheese on each slice of rye bread with seeds. Top with ready-made asparagus, salt and pepper. Garnish with ground cashew nuts if desired. Also, sometimes in this recipe, asparagus is replaced with green beans, from which the taste of the dish acquires a slightly different shade, while not changing the main taste.
Photo: Getty Images
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