Smørrebrød
Danish sandwiches governed by a few rules that look like formality but have practical grounds. The butter goes right to the edges — without it the wet toppings soak the bread within a quarter of an hour. Toppings are not laid loosely but densely and high, because smørrebrød is eaten with a knife and fork, not in the hand. And one topping dominates: the sandwich has a name, not a list of ingredients.
Your own work in that: 15 min.
- Toppings 20 min
- Onions 15 min
- Assembly 15 min
Step by step
0 / 6 donePrepare the eggs and onions
Hard-boil the eggs (9–10 minutes) and cool them in cold water. Slice one onion into thin half-rings and soak it in cold water for 15 minutes to take off its bite. Slice the other into thin rings and pat dry. Heat the oil in a small saucepan to about 160°C (a piece of onion should fizz at once) and fry the rings 6–8 minutes, stirring, to a golden brown. Lift them out before they darken — they finish colouring and crisp up on the paper.
Ingredients: 2 pcs onions · 200 ml oil · 4 tbsp mayonnaise · 2 tbsp grated horseradish · 1 bunch dill · 3 tbsp chives · 1 pcs lemon · 2 tbsp capers · 2 pcs pickled cucumbers
Golden brown and crisp — drained on paper.Butter the bread to the edges
Spread each slice with butter right to the edges, thinly but completely. It is about insulation as much as flavour: the fat holds back moisture from the toppings and the bread stays springy for longer.
Ingredients: 6 pcs rye bread · 80 g butter
Right to the edges — butter insulates against moisture.Build the prawn sandwich
On two slices lay the prawns densely, in overlapping rows, so no bread shows. Add a teaspoon of mayonnaise, a sprig of dill and a lemon wedge. One of the most classic Danish sandwiches, and the simplest.
Ingredients: 200 g prawns · 200 g pickled herring · 200 g roast beef · 3 pcs eggs
Dense rows — no bread should show.Build the roast beef sandwich
On the next two slices lay the beef in loose waves, not flat, add a spoonful of horseradish mixed with mayonnaise, crisp onion and a few capers. The waves are practical — they give height, while flat meat looks mean.
Ingredients: 200 g prawns · 200 g pickled herring · 200 g roast beef · 3 pcs eggs
Build the herring sandwich
On the last two slices lay pieces of herring, with slices of peeled egg and drained raw onion beside them. Scatter with chives. Sour herring and rich egg is a Danish classic, traditionally eaten first.
Ingredients: 200 g prawns · 200 g pickled herring · 200 g roast beef · 3 pcs eggs
Finish and serve with a knife and fork
Add slices of pickled cucumber and dill. Serve on a board with a knife and fork — smørrebrød is a plated dish, not a hand-held sandwich, and the height of the toppings assumes it.
Ingredients: 2 pcs onions · 200 ml oil · 4 tbsp mayonnaise · 2 tbsp grated horseradish · 1 bunch dill · 3 tbsp chives · 1 pcs lemon · 2 tbsp capers · 2 pcs pickled cucumbers
Before you start
The bread matters
Danish rugbrød is very dense, dark and faintly sour, cut into slices of about 8 mm. A sourdough rye is the closest substitute. Danes happily put prawns on white bread too, but soft wheat bread will not carry heavy, moist toppings — it goes soggy.
The eating order
Denmark observes an order: herring first, then other fish, then meats, cheese last. It is table tradition, and a sensible progression of flavours too — from fish through meat to cheese.
Assemble just before serving
Sandwiches built in advance soften despite the butter. All the toppings can be prepared in the morning and kept in the fridge — butter and assemble only a quarter of an hour before eating.
