Smorrebrod: 5 recipes for a popular Danish dish

This traditional Danish dish is gaining increasing popularity among gourmets around the world. We are sharing five recipes for an unusual and very tasty snack.

Smørrebrod is a traditional dish in Denmark that locals eat for lunch or dinner, replacing soups and main courses. Smorrebrod is an open-faced sandwich made from rye bread and filling. The most common fish used in this dish is herring, trout and salmon. You can also often find fresh vegetables, fatty cheeses, and pates in recipes.

It is eaten exclusively with a knife and fork, since it is almost impossible to eat smorrebrod with your hands. The way the Danish sandwich is consumed also suggests that it has moved from the category of a simple snack to a full-fledged meal.

Translated from Danish, the name of this dish means “spread bread”. The exact date of origin of smorrebrod is unknown, but it gained popularity in 1888, when the wife of a Danish entrepreneur made this dish the calling card of her wine bar.

Since then, this northern snack has been loved by local residents, and they have made it one of the main national dishes, which today has already become known outside of its native country. We are sharing 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. Place pieces of salmon and cilantro leaves on top. Season with salt and pepper. The salmon in this recipe can easily be replaced with lightly salted trout or even chum salmon; the taste of the dish will practically not change.

Smorrebrod with pickled herring and red onion

Ingredients:

  • Rye bread 4 slices
  • Pickled herring 10 pieces
  • Soft cheese 50 g
  • Vinegar 2 tbsp.
  • Sugar 2 tsp.
  • Half a red onion
  • Pepper
  • Salt

Cooking method:

Spread each slice of bread with soft cheese. Place pieces of herring and onions, previously marinated in vinegar and sugar, on top. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, the finished dish can be decorated with fresh cilantro or parsley leaves.

Smorrebrod with shrimp and cream cheese

Ingredients:

  • Rye bread 4 slices
  • Boiled shrimp 200 g
  • Cream cheese 50 g
  • Fresh cucumber 1 piece
  • Pepper
  • Salt

Cooking method:

Spread cream cheese on each slice of bread. Place whole shrimp on top, as well as fresh cucumber, cut into slices. Salt and pepper. If desired, the shrimp can be drizzled with a small amount of a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice. 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 pieces of roast beef and pickled cucumber, cut into slices. If desired, the finished dish can be sprinkled 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 each slice of rye bread with seeds with a layer of cream cheese. Place the prepared asparagus on top, add salt and pepper. If desired, the dish can be garnished with ground cashew nuts. Also, sometimes in this recipe, asparagus is replaced with green beans, this gives the taste of the dish a slightly different shade, without changing the basic taste qualities.