Smørrebrød (Danish Open-faced Herring Sandwich) is a traditional Danish recipe for a classic open-faced sandwich of herring with butter, onion, dill and remoulade that, traditionally, is the first sandwich served in a smørrebrød meal. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Danish version of: Danish Open-faced Herring Sandwich (Smørrebrød).
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Smørrebrød (literally ‘buttered bread’ is an open-faced sandwich that ranks amongst Denmark’s national dishes. They are typically made with rye bread (rugbrød) as the base, spread with butter, and then topped with meat, fish, or vegetables. Common toppings include smoked salmon, herring, or roast beef, often garnished with pickles or herbs for added flavour.
There are actually rules for eating smørrebrød. First, always use a knife and fork as there are too many toppings to hold in your hand without making a mess.
When eating multiple smørrebrød, start with pickled herring (the slight tartness of the herring acts like a palate cleanser), then move on to seafood like salmon or prawns (as in the gravadlax Smørrebrød), followed by meats (eg beef Smørrebrød), and finish with cheese (eg Havarti cheese and tomato smørrebrød).
When topping the bread, start with butter (butter is non-negotiable, hence the name of these sandwiches) and thin ingredients, then add the bulkier toppings.
Note that Sweden has a similar concept, spelled Smörrebröd. The Swedish version, which tends to be lighter, creamier, and more improvisational — and crucially, the bread itself is more flexible: thin toast rounds, light rye, or crispbread are all fair game.
A recipe for the classic pickled herring version of smørrebrød is given below:
Ingredients:
1 slice Danish rye bread rugbrød, about 12mm thick
1 tbsp cold salted butter
3-4 pieces pickled herring (or substitute half a tin of good quality sardines in olive oil)
1/4 small red onion thinly sliced into half-moons
several sprigs of fresh dill several sprigs
2 tablespoons Danish curry remoulade
Method:
Slice the rugbrød about 12mm thick.
Spread cold butter generously and evenly across the entire surface of the bread, edge to edge.
Lay ickled herring (or sardines) on top of the buttered bread then arrange the thin half-moon slices of red onion over the fish.
Scatter fresh dill generously over the top.
Add a generous spoonful of Danish curry remoulade, sitting it slightly off-centre.
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