Darina Allen: How to make the perfect Danish open sandwiches 

Revive a Danish sandwich tradition with these delicious recipes

Apart from the thrilling restaurant and avant-garde café scene in Copenhagen, there’s still the Danish favourite tradition, smørrebrød.

Smørrebrød is a delicious open sandwich, usually on rye bread with an endless selection of classic and creative toppings, making it a very chilled-out way to enjoy a snack, lunch or even dinner. It is perfect summer food and infinitely adaptable.

Occasionally one tastes something that lives on in the memory. The flavour and texture of a smørrebrød I ate in the 1970s in Schønnemann’s in Copenhagen is unforgettable: rare roast beef on rye bread with remoulade sauce and crispy onions.

Thinly sliced rare beef was still warm, homemade remoulade sauce, thick and unctuous, onion rings, sweet and crisp, finished with a sprinkling of freshly grated horseradish. The flavours and textures were exquisite. I’ve returned over and over to recapture those flavours and that experience.

Smørrebrød (pronounced smuhr-broht) simply means “bread and butter” in Danish and is an interesting part of Denmark’s traditional food culture. After several decades of dwindling interest, smørrebrød is regaining popularity. Its waning coincided with a drop in quality when all the toppings and rye bread became mass produced and there was more competition from fast food sandwiches such as wraps, burgers and shawarma. But smørrebrød is having its ‘moment’ as cool young chefs reclaim the concept using home-baked high-quality rye bread and homemade toppings served with ice-cold artisan Schnapps and craft beers, for the ritual toasting tradition when eating smørrebrød.

So, how do you make a memorable smørrebrød? Super healthy and tasty rye bread is the foundation. The butter has to be salted. Next, assemble the toppings.

According to my friend, Trine Hahnemann, who has written a book, Open Sandwiches (Quadrille), on the subject, there must be at least three of the following components: salt, sweet, sour, butter and umami.

You’ll also need a contrast of texture and flavour. Balance soft with crunchy, sweet with sour, and so on. There should be more than one colour and a garnish of fresh herbs, even a pinch of cress grown on the windowsill.

Here is an example of a classic combination: A slice of rye bread, buttered, hard-boiled eggs (soft, fatty), tomatoes (firm, sweet/tart), creamy mayo (fatty, tart), salt and freshly ground black pepper and cress. There are several unspoken Danish rules. Always opt for herring first, then salmon or other fish. Don’t combine fish with meat or vegetables. Finally, cheese always comes at the end.

Every day open sandwiches are called Madder. For a perfectly convivial family-style supper, lay out a range of toppings on a board; everyone can assemble a madder of their choice.

Trine says that to make smørrebrød you just need a few basic ingredients, most of which will already be in your cupboard or fridge.

You can, of course, buy toppings but homemade will taste so much better, also the philosophy of the young chefs spearheading the revival.

Some of the smørrebrød establishments like Schønnemann’s (est. 1877) have chefs’ specialities like René Redzepi’s smørrebrød: smoked halibut with cucumber and dill mayo.

Good rye bread, a Danish staple, is becoming easier to find here. Trine offers 70 combination recipes and two rye bread recipes in Open Sandwiches; I have included some here. It’s also worth knowing rye bread keeps and freezes brilliantly. All the pickles and condiments can of course be bought but, again, will taste so much better and be more nutritious if homemade.

Just get started, include the kids, have fun and make delicious smørrebrød part of your everyday life. Here are a few suggestions, but of course feel free to try alternative ingredients depending on what you have to hand.

Tomato, egg and mayonnaise open sandwich

You can use cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise here if you prefer. Or change the herbs: chopped chives, chervil and dill will work well instead of cress.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 slices of rye bread

• salted butter

• 2 large tomatoes

• 2 hard-boiled eggs

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons cress sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the rye bread slices on a worktop and spread the butter evenly on each slice.

2. Slice the tomatoes.

3. Cut each egg into 4 slices, and place 2 slices of egg with 1 slice of tomato in the middle of each bread.

4. Divide the mayonnaise between the open sandwiches, place the cress on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mackerel Rillettes open sandwich

In August, the mackerel are big and fat, and that's when they are best to smoke. They can be eaten on rye bread with egg yolk and raw onions.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Danish

Ingredients

• 170g smoked mackerel

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

• 5 radishes, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated unwaxed lime zest

• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander, plus leaves to decorate

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chilli flakes

• freshly ground black pepper

• 4 slices of rye bread

• salted butter

Method

1. Carefully remove and discard the skin and bones from the mackerel. Break up the fish into pieces.

2. Mix the mackerel, eggs, chives, radishes, lemon juice, lime juice, lime zest, coriander and chilli flakes.

3. Season to taste with pepper.

4. Place the eggs in a small saucepan and pour cold water over, so they are covered. Bring to the boil and let them boil for 4 minutes.

5. Take the saucepan off the heat, pour out the boiling water and pour plenty of cold water over the eggs.

6. After 10 minutes, peel them; they are ready to be used.

7. Place the rye bread slices on a work top and spread the butter evenly on each slice.

8. Divide the mackerel rillettes between each bread slice and top with the coriander leaves.

Mustard pickles

The best pickles I know of; this is my mother’s recipe. I use the pickles in Rémoulade, but also just to serve as pickles for meat, fried fish or fishcakes.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 8 hours 0 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 9 hours 0 mins

Course

 Side

Cuisine

 Danish

Ingredients

• 750g (1lb 10oz) green tomatoes, cut into chunks

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) courgettes, cut into chunks

• 350g (12oz) onions, cut into chunks

• 35g (3 tablespoons) sea salt flakes, or to taste

• 500ml apple cider vinegar

• 50ml lemon juice

• 400g granulated sugar

• 40g plain flour

• 2 1/2 tablespoons mustard seeds, ground

• 2-3 tablespoons curry powder, or to taste

Method

1. Blend the tomatoes, courgettes and onions until very fine in a blender or food processor (or with a hand blender).

2. Mix with the salt, then set aside for 3-4 hours in a cool place.

3. Pour the vegetables into a jelly bag and leave to drain for a couple of hours. Then place the vegetables in a big saucepan with 400ml water and 75ml of vinegar.

4. Bring to the boil while stirring, then let it simmer over a very low heat for 20 minutes.

5. Once more, pour the vegetables into a jelly bag and leave to drain for some hours - even better overnight until rather dry.

6. Place the vegetable mixture in a big saucepan, then add the remaining vinegar and the lemon juice. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, then stir into the vegetables.

7. Bring to the boil, still stirring, then let it simmer for 30 minutes over a very low heat, stirring often.

8. Season to taste with more salt, curry powder and sugar.

9. Pour the pickles into sterilised jars and seal them. Store in a cold place, they will keep for 1 year.

HOT TIPS

Ballymaloe Desserts with JR Ryall at Ballymaloe Cookery School

At last, you can learn the secrets of the famous Ballymaloe Sweet Trolley with Ballymaloe Desserts, published by Phaidon this October. JR Ryall, Ballymaloe House Pastry Chef extraordinaire will share the magic at the cookery school on Tuesday, October 25 at 2.30pm. Course attendees will get a copy of the new cookbook included in their pack personalised by chef and author, JR.

• For more information, see www.cookingisfun.ie

Copenhagen Trends

Copenhagen bakers and pastry chefs seem to be doing a ‘dark bake’ for extra flavour, what we might originally have considered to be charred or burnt is now cool and desirable.

Garnishes

The herb of choice for garnishing is green or purple oxalis, a deliciously tart shamrock-shaped leaf that grows wild and is also cultivated.

Wild Food of the Week

Meadowsweet

Hedgerows and meadows around the countryside are dotted with clumps of fluffy cream meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) at present. It’s sometimes called mead wort or Queen of the Meadows. It’s a perennial herb in the Rosaceae family that grows in damp places, meadows and sometimes along the roadside. It flowers from early summer to early autumn. 

Enjoy it in meadowsweet lemonade, panna cotta, ice cream or make a sweet blossom which according to our herbalist Maria Walsh is reputed to ease the pain of arthritis. Traditionally it was infused into wine , beer , vinegars. The flowers can also be added to stewed fruit and jams, giving them a subtle almond flavour.