flipSchwarzbrot with Smoked Herring and Butter (Abendbrot)
Schwarzbrot with Smoked Herring and Butter (Abendbrot)
Why this dish? Son of the Baltic coast of Greifswald, Friedrich kept the taste of his Pomeranian childhood foods: rye bread, fish, light beer. This is exactly the Abendbrot of an artist without fortune, set out in the evening after a day in the studio or a walk.
A thick slice of black sourdough rye bread, buttered, topped with a fillet of smoked herring and a ring of onion. The cold evening meal in all its Nordic nakedness: nothing but the dense grain, the fat of the butter, and the iodine of the fish.
I was born by the grey sea, and its herring nourished me before painting nourished my soul. See: I break the rye bread, this bread dark as my skies, I lay the smoked fish upon it and a little butter, and it suffices me. Eat slowly, in silence; what is simple stands closest to God.
- •Sourdough rye bread (Schwarzbrot) — one loaf (dense, tangy base)
- •Baltic smoked herring — a few fillets (iodized umami, signature)
- •Churned butter — as needed (fat that softens the rye)
- •Onion — 1 (fresh bite)
Schwarzbrot with Smoked Herring and Butter (Abendbrot)
A thick slice of black sourdough rye bread, buttered, topped with a fillet of smoked herring and a ring of onion. The cold evening meal in all its Nordic nakedness: nothing but the dense grain, the fat of the butter, and the iodine of the fish.
Why this dish? Son of the Baltic coast of Greifswald, Friedrich kept the taste of his Pomeranian childhood foods: rye bread, fish, light beer. This is exactly the Abendbrot of an artist without fortune, set out in the evening after a day in the studio or a walk.
I was born by the grey sea, and its herring nourished me before painting nourished my soul. See: I break the rye bread, this bread dark as my skies, I lay the smoked fish upon it and a little butter, and it suffices me. Eat slowly, in silence; what is simple stands closest to God.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sourdough rye bread (Schwarzbrot) — one loaf (dense, tangy base)
- Baltic smoked herring — a few fillets (iodized umami, signature)
- Churned butter — as needed (fat that softens the rye)
- Onion — 1 (fresh bite)
Ingredients
- Sourdough rye bread (pumpernickel or Schwarzbrot type) — 4 thick slices (dense, tangy base)
- Smoked herring fillets (or smoked mackerel) — 2 (approx. 150 g) (iodized umami, signature)
- Salted butter — 40 g (fat that softens the rye)
- Red onion — 1/2 (fresh bite)
- Chives or dill — a few sprigs (herbal freshness)
Method
- Take the butter out in advance so it is spreadable.
- Generously butter each slice of rye bread.
- Flake the smoked herring into strips and distribute over the bread.
- Slice the onion into very thin rings and arrange on top.
- Sprinkle with chopped dill or chives. Serve cold, with a light beer.
How it was made : Baltic herring was caught in quantity and preserved by salting or smoking over alder, making it the cheapest protein in the North. Sourdough Schwarzbrot, baked long and slow, kept for days. The cold Abendbrot avoided lighting the fire in the evening: an economy as much as a habit.
The contemporary twist : Serve it as Nordic smørrebrød: a single slice presented on a plate, with a touch of dill and lemon zest, for a painter's Abendbrot revisited.
Caspar David Friedrich · Charactorium
