Spekesild på flatbrød — salted herring on flatbread
Fillets of salted herring, desalted then tenderized in a little vinegar, placed on crispy flatbrød or rye bread, with rings of raw onion. Salty, sharp, and nourishing: the Norwegian snack par excellence.
Fillets of salted herring, desalted then tenderized in a little vinegar, placed on crispy flatbrød or rye bread, with rings of raw onion. Salty, sharp, and nourishing: the Norwegian snack par excellence.
When work kept me for hours before the canvas, I had neither the time nor the desire to sit at table. A piece of flatbrød, a fillet of salted herring, a few rings of raw onion, and that was enough to keep me going. It is the fare of the fisherman and the worker, the one you carry in your pocket wrapped in paper — rough on the palate, but honest. First soak your herring in water to remove the worst of the salt, otherwise it will burn your mouth like seawater.
- •Barrel-salted herring — a few fillets (preserved protein)
- •Flatbrød (dry flatbread) or rye bread — a few rounds (base)
- •Raw onion — 1 (bite)
- •Vinegar — a splash (to tenderize and add tang)
- •Butter — a little (to spread on the bread)
Spekesild på flatbrød — salted herring on flatbread
Fillets of salted herring, desalted then tenderized in a little vinegar, placed on crispy flatbrød or rye bread, with rings of raw onion. Salty, sharp, and nourishing: the Norwegian snack par excellence.
Why this dish? Salted herring was the pocket food of the Norwegian people — cheap, portable, eaten on the go. For Munch, busy for hours in his studio at Ekely, a slice of herring and onion on flatbread was the perfect snack, true to his taste for simple country dishes.
When work kept me for hours before the canvas, I had neither the time nor the desire to sit at table. A piece of flatbrød, a fillet of salted herring, a few rings of raw onion, and that was enough to keep me going. It is the fare of the fisherman and the worker, the one you carry in your pocket wrapped in paper — rough on the palate, but honest. First soak your herring in water to remove the worst of the salt, otherwise it will burn your mouth like seawater.
Ingredients (period version)
- Barrel-salted herring — a few fillets (preserved protein)
- Flatbrød (dry flatbread) or rye bread — a few rounds (base)
- Raw onion — 1 (bite)
- Vinegar — a splash (to tenderize and add tang)
- Butter — a little (to spread on the bread)
Ingredients
- Salted herring fillets (or marinated, like matjes) — 4 fillets (topping)
- Flatbrød or whole-grain rye bread — 4 slices (base)
- Red or yellow onion — 1 small (raw bite)
- White vinegar — 2 tbsp (marinade)
- Butter — 20 g (spread)
- Dill or chives (optional) — a few sprigs (freshness)
Method
- If the herring is very salty, desalt it in cold water for 1-2 hours, then pat dry.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces and let sit for 15 minutes in a little vinegar mixed with water to tenderize.
- Slice the onion into thin rings.
- Butter the bread, arrange the herring pieces and onion rings on top.
- Sprinkle with dill or chives and serve immediately as a cold snack.
How it was made : Barrel-salted herring was long the basic protein of the Scandinavian working classes, abundant and cheap. Paired with flatbrød — a very dry flatbread that keeps for months — it formed the cold transportable meal (kveldsmat or matpakke) of the fisherman, farmer, and worker, eaten without ceremony.
The contemporary twist : Arrange as open-faced smørbrød, glossy herring and onion in thin crescents, on dark bread — dark, graphic, almost a Northern still life.
Edvard Munch · Charactorium
