If you’re not in the mood for cooking, this Scandinavian recipe for smoked salmon sandwich will go down a treat. The smoked salmon paired with the freshly mixed sour cream herb base is perfect for a cool summer lunch.
Ingredients
For the sour cream mixture:
- ⅓ cup of sour cream
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp of finely chopped dill
- Salt for seasoning
For the smørrebrød:
- Sour cream mixture (made above)
- 4 slices of Danish rye bread or pumpernickel bread
- 8 ounces of thinly sliced smoked salmon
- 3 – 4 thinly sliced radishes (depending on how much radish you want for each slice)
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Coarse black pepper
- Parsley leaves (as a garnish)
- Dill sprigs (as a garnish)
Directions
- First you will need to make the sour cream component — mix the sour cream with the herbs and lemon juice, then add salt (seasoned to your liking).
- You can now spread the sour cream and herb mixture onto the four slices of bread.
- On each slice, add salmon at the base with radish slices layered on top, finishing it off with the lemon zest and pepper last.
- As a final touch, you can garnish the sandwich with some dill and parsley.
Background: Smoked salmon sandwich
In many countries around the world, the sandwich is a simple and unremarkable dish — something you might slap together for ease and convenience.
In Denmark, their open-faced version is anything but. Yes, it is still simple in concept, but with their never-ending list of ingredients and topping combinations, the results can be sometimes extravagant, often surprising and most always delicious.
Directly translated, ‘smorrebrod’ means butter bread.
Its origins appear to date back to the Middle Ages when thick and stale bread was basically used as a throwaway plate or trencher for the ingredients on top. The meal morphed over time as people realised how tasty and fundamental the bread actually was to the dish.
In the 19th century it then became a trend for workers who couldn’t go home for lunch to pack open-faced sandwiches covered with leftovers from the meal of the previous night.
Tip — if you’re eating your smoked salmon sandwich (smorrebrod) in a restaurant, it’s best practice to eat it with a knife and fork.
Scandification: Discovering Scandinavia.
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