Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød is the Danish open sandwich. A thin slice of dense dark rye bread is spread with butter or fat and covered with toppings such as pickled herring, roast pork, liver pâté, egg and shrimp, or roast beef. It is eaten with a knife and fork, usually for lunch. The name means "butter and bread".

How to do it

1. Use thin slices of Danish-style rye bread (rugbrød), about 1 cm (⅜ inch) thick.
2. Spread butter all the way to the edges. It adds flavor and keeps the bread from getting soggy.
3. Add a lettuce leaf if the topping is wet.
4. Pile on the main topping generously. The bread should barely show.
5. Add a garnish that adds crunch or sharpness: raw onion rings, fresh dill, cress, radish, crispy fried onions, or pickled cucumber.
6. Serve right away, with a knife and fork.

How to use it

Classic pairings worth knowing:

• Pickled herring with raw onion, capers and dill.
• Sliced hard-boiled egg with small shrimp, mayonnaise and lemon.
• Liver pâté with crisp bacon and sautéed mushrooms or pickled beets.
• Roast pork with crackling and red cabbage.
• Roast beef with remoulade, fried onions and horseradish.
• Smoked or cured salmon with dill and lemon.

Danes traditionally eat herring first, then other fish, then meat, and finally cheese.

Common mistakes

• Light bread. White bread cannot hold the toppings.
• Skimping on butter. It is part of the dish, not optional.
• Assembling far ahead. The bread softens. Prepare the toppings early and build each one just before serving.
• Eating it with your hands. A full-size smørrebrød falls apart.

In recipes

Cut into small squares, smørrebrød becomes a canapé. In Norway it is smørbrød. Swedish open sandwiches, smörgåsar, are related, and the Swedish smörgåsbord grew from the same tradition of bread and toppings.