Dine like a Dane enjoying late spring: 3 smørrebrød recipes from Denmark

Denmark in late spring is a land of light and sun and people celebrating the end of the long, dark days of winter. At 9:30 at night, the streets of Copenhagen are crowded with Danes and tourists out for a late evening swim in the Nyhavn river, boat rides down the canals, or celebrating the long days with cold beer, herring, steamed mussels and French fries, and fried fish at the many cafes and pubs. There is a joyous feeling of celebration.

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

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

The Copenhagen restaurant Noma 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 famed restaurant and learned to cook and understand local ingredients in a whole new way under the guidance of Noma’s chef René Redzepi. Many of these chefs have stayed in Denmark, specifically in Copenhagen and opened their own spots, and the city is filled with exciting restaurants, cafes and food halls.

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

What excited me most were the open-faced sandwiches called smørrebrød. The combination of colors, textures and flavors piled onto fresh-baked sourdough rye bread, multi-grain bread and black bread were stunning. Try as I may, I can’t correctly pronounce the word.

But what’s important is how good these sandwiches are.  They truly are works of art.

Picture black 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 featured cooked local baby shrimp with homemade mayonnaise and capers with thin slices of pickled red onions and just-cooked soft-boiled egg slices. Other smørrebrød included chicken salad on sourdough rye with capers and dill sprigs, thinly sliced smoked ham with butter and slices of pickled cucumbers, smoked salmon on black bread with radish slices and dill, fried fish with homemade tartar and pickled lemon slices.

You can make smørrebrød at home. There are endless possibilities, depending on the season and what ingredients are available.

First step is the bread. Traditionally the sandwiches are made on a sourdough rye called rugbrød. The word smørrebrød literally translated means butter (smør) and bread (brød).  If you can’t find sourdough rye, look for thinly sliced rye, seeded rye, thin slices of dark pumpernickel, any black 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, labneh, Greek yogurt and other toppings on the bread instead of, or on top of, the butter.

Then it's time for the toppings. You can get wildly 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 toppings. The more colorful and full of contrasting textures, the better.

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

Keep in mind that these sandwiches shouldn’t be assembled much more than an hour or so before serving. You can get all your ingredients ready and then assemble them just before serving or have your guests put together their own smørrebrød. Oh, and unlike in the U.S. where we pick up our sandwiches, smørrebrød is traditionally eaten on a plate with a fork and knife.

Ideas for summer smørrebrød

*Labneh is made from plain yogurt that is strained for hours to remove most of the whey. It is creamy and tangy and similar in consistency to whipped cream cheese.

This is an egg that’s boiled only enough to set the yolk. When cooled and sliced, the yolk will still be slightly runny.

Ingredients

Instructions

You can use this basic recipe to make an ideal salad for a smørrebrød.  Or substitute two large or three small hard-boiled eggs for the chicken.

Makes enough for 4 open smørrebrød.

Ingredients

Instructions

Waffles are on many Danish menus topped with creme fraiche and fish roe, with smoked salmon and herring, with just about anything. Think of these waffles like the bottom layer of a smørrebrød. The waffle batter can be made a day ahead of time, covered and refrigerated.

Serves 3 to 6.

Ingredients

Toppings:

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

Instructions

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