Eat like a Dane while enjoying the end of spring: 3 smørrebrød recipes from Denmark

At the end of spring, Denmark is a land of light and sunshine and its people celebrate the end of the long, dark winter days. At 9:30 p.m., the streets of Copenhagen are crowded with Danes and tourists who come for late evening swimming in the Nyhavn River, boat rides on the canals or celebrating the long days with cold beer, herring, mussels steamed and fries. and fried fish in the many cafes and pubs. There is a joyous feeling of celebration.

I’m not sure what I expected to find in the Copenhagen food scene. But the creativity and innovation I encountered almost everywhere in the city was remarkable.

HAS Kødbyens fish bar in the old meatpacking district, we sat outside and sipped ice-cold oysters from Denmark and Norway served on a bed of beach pebbles and seaweed. We had a tasty waffle with herbed creme fraiche and a thick topping of whitefish roe and edible flowers. Alongside the fish was homemade sourdough rye bread with tangy seaweed-flavored butter.

The Copenhagen restaurant Or is considered by many to be the best in the world. The future of Noma is unclear, but what is known is that there are many talented young chefs who trained at the famous restaurant and learned to cook and understand local ingredients in a whole new way under the leadership of Noma chef René Redzepi. Many of these chefs stayed in Denmark, particularly Copenhagen, and opened their own restaurants, and the city is full of exciting restaurants, cafes and food halls.

After a week of memorable meals in Copenhagen, we had barely begun to scratch the surface.

Smørrebrød from Hallernes Smørrebrød. (Kathy Gunst/Here and Now)

What excited me the most were the open-faced sandwiches called sandwich. The combination of colors, textures and flavors piled on top of freshly baked sourdough rye bread, multigrain bread and dark bread was stunning. No matter how hard I try, I can’t pronounce the word correctly.

But what’s important is the quality of these sandwiches. They are truly works of art.

Imagine dark bread smeared with yellow Danish butter and topped with slices of pickled red and yellow beets, salty pickled herring, and edible flower petals. One sandwich I tried included small local shrimp cooked with homemade mayonnaise and capers with thin slices of pickled red onion and slices of just-cooked boiled egg. Other sandwich included rye sourdough chicken salad with capers and dill sprigs, thin slices of smoked ham with butter and slices of pickled cucumbers, smoked salmon on black bread with radish slices and dill, fried fish with homemade tartare and lemon slices Marine.

You can do sandwich at home. The possibilities are endless, depending on the season and available ingredients.

The first step is the bread. Traditionally, sandwiches are made with a rye sourdough called Rye bread. The word smørrebrød literally translated means butter (butter) and bread (Bread). If you can’t find sourdough rye, look for thinly sliced ​​rye, seeded rye, thin slices of dark Pumpernickel, dark bread, or whole grain bread.

Next comes the butter. This is where you want to use the best butter you can find. A rich, lightly salted butter is my first choice. You can also spread mayonnaise, aioli, labne, Greek yogurt and other toppings on bread instead or on top of butter.

Next comes time for the toppings. You can get really creative here or keep it simple. Smoked fish, egg salad, chicken salad, fish cakes, fish roe, ham, prosciutto, cheese, egg slices, thin slices of meat. Pickles, herb sprigs, lemon slices, cucumbers, radishes and edible flowers are used for garnishes. The more colorful and full of contrasting textures, the better.

Here are several ideas for sandwich, and a flavorful herb waffle recipe, inspired by the endless waffles we ate during our time in Denmark. Typically, waffles are served with savory toppings.

Keep in mind that these sandwiches should not be assembled more than about an hour before serving. You can prepare all your ingredients then assemble them just before serving or ask your guests to prepare their own. sandwich. Oh, and unlike the US where we collect our sandwiches, sandwich is traditionally eaten on a plate with a fork and a knife.

Ideas for summer sandwich

  • Chicken salad on black bread with chive flowers
  • Multigrain rye bread spread with labné* (or butter, sour cream or soft goat cheese) garnished with slices of smoked salmon, slices of soft-boiled eggs
  • Dark bread, labné (or butter, sour cream or soft goat cheese), salmon caviar, thin slices of lemon and chive flowers
  • Sourdough rye bread with labneh (or butter, sour cream or soft goat cheese), thin slice of cooked shrimp and fresh dill sprigs
  • Black bread with butter, salami, dill sprigs
  • Black bread with butter, slices of soft-boiled egg, anchovies
  • Buttered rye bread, slices of ham, thin slices of pickle or gherkins and a little spicy Dijon mustard
  • Black bread with butter, coarsely chopped herring in wine sauce, thin slices of radish

*Labne is made from natural yogurt that is filtered for hours to remove most of the whey. It’s creamy and tangy and has a consistency similar to whipped cream cheese.

Boiled eggs and chicken salad on smørrebrød.  (Kathy Gunst/Here and Now)
Boiled eggs and chicken salad on smørrebrød. (Kathy Gunst/Here and Now)

Boiled eggs

This is an egg boiled just enough for the yolk to set. Once cooled and sliced, the yolk will still be slightly runny.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and carefully add the eggs. Cook for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for another 2 minutes. Drain the eggs under cold running water. Carefully peel off the shell and slice it thinly.

Dill and Caper Chicken Salad

You can use this basic recipe to make an ideal salad forsands. Or replace the chicken with two large or three small hard-boiled eggs.

Gives enough for 4 open secondssands.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into small cubes or shreds
  • 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of capers
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • About ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, gently combine chicken, celery, capers, dill, salt and pepper. Stir in the mayonnaise and lemon juice and taste for seasoning.

Savory Herb-Buttermilk Waffles

Savory waffles with herbs and buttermilk.  (Kathy Gunst/Here and Now)
Savory waffles with herbs and buttermilk. (Kathy Gunst/Here and Now)

Waffles feature on many Danish menus, topped with crème fraîche and fish roe, smoked salmon and herring, with just about everything. Think of these waffles as the bottom layer of a smørrebrød. The waffle batter can be prepared the day before, covered and refrigerated.

For 3 to 6 people.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
  • ½ cup buttermilk*
  • 1 egg
  • 1 additional egg white
  • 1 stick of melted butter
  • ½ cup seltzer water
  • About ⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, chives, thyme, chervil
  • Plant spray

Toppings:

  • Labné, sour cream, soft goat cheese or Greek yogurt
  • Smoked salmon slices
  • Redfish roe or whitefish roe
  • Fresh sprigs of dill or chives
  • Edible flower petals
  • Melted butter with chopped fresh herbs and grated lemon zest

*If you don’t have buttermilk, squeeze 1 tablespoon lemon juice into ½ cup milk and let sit for about 15 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Prepare the waffle batter: In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolk, melted butter and seltzer water. Add a little more salt and pepper. Add the herbs.
  3. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites with a flexible spatula until completely incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to prepare waffles.
  5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  6. Heat a waffle iron until hot. Spray generously with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking to both sides of the waffle iron. When hot, add about ⅓ cup of waffle batter to the iron, close and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Take a look; The waffle should be a rich golden brown and crisp around the edges. Remove carefully with a fork. Keep warm on a plate in the preheated oven. Repeat with batter to make 6 waffles.
  7. Top the waffles with some or all of the toppings or let everyone top their own waffle.

Copenhagen: some favorite spots

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