Smørrebrød med marineret sild — open-faced sandwich with pickled herring
A thick slice of sourdough rye bread, generously buttered, topped with vinegar-pickled herring, sliced onion and a few rings of beetroot. Salty, sharp, fermented: all of the North in one bite.
A thick slice of sourdough rye bread, generously buttered, topped with vinegar-pickled herring, sliced onion and a few rings of beetroot. Salty, sharp, fermented: all of the North in one bite.
You see, at midday I asked for nothing complicated. They placed on the table the rye bread — a true dark bread, not that white crumb that holds nothing — and on it the herring that my mother kept in its vinegar brine. The butter first, abundant, otherwise the fish slips; then the onion, fine as a blade. I ate this in silence, with fork and knife, as is proper, and I assure you that no star is observed well on an empty stomach.
- •Sourdough rye bread (rugbrød) — one thick slice (base)
- •Vinegar-pickled herring — 1 to 2 fillets (main topping)
- •Cultured butter — a good layer (binder and fat)
- •Onion — a few slivers (bite)
- •Pickled beetroot — 2-3 rounds (acidity and color)
Smørrebrød med marineret sild — open-faced sandwich with pickled herring
A thick slice of sourdough rye bread, generously buttered, topped with vinegar-pickled herring, sliced onion and a few rings of beetroot. Salty, sharp, fermented: all of the North in one bite.
Why this dish? Hertzsprung's anchor says it: rye bread, fish, butter, a simple and regular Danish cuisine. Herring smørrebrød was the ordinary lunch of a man from Frederiksberg, methodical, who ate at midday what was prepared without fuss before returning to his photographic plates.
You see, at midday I asked for nothing complicated. They placed on the table the rye bread — a true dark bread, not that white crumb that holds nothing — and on it the herring that my mother kept in its vinegar brine. The butter first, abundant, otherwise the fish slips; then the onion, fine as a blade. I ate this in silence, with fork and knife, as is proper, and I assure you that no star is observed well on an empty stomach.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sourdough rye bread (rugbrød) — one thick slice (base)
- Vinegar-pickled herring — 1 to 2 fillets (main topping)
- Cultured butter — a good layer (binder and fat)
- Onion — a few slivers (bite)
- Pickled beetroot — 2-3 rounds (acidity and color)
Ingredients
- Dense rye bread — 1 slice (approx. 60 g) (base)
- Pickled herring fillets (rollmops or matjes) — 60 g (main topping)
- Soft salted butter — 15 g (binder and fat)
- Red onion — 1/4, thinly sliced (bite)
- Cooked beetroot — 2 rounds (acidity and color)
- Fresh dill — a few sprigs (freshness)
Method
- Butter the slice of rye bread all the way to the edges, without skimping: the butter prevents the fish from soaking the crumb.
- Drain the herring fillets and place them on the bread.
- Scatter the sliced red onion and beetroot rounds on top.
- Sprinkle with dill, grind some black pepper over and serve immediately, with fork and knife.
How it was made : Herring, ultra-abundant in the North and Baltic Seas, was preserved all winter in spiced vinegar brines (bay leaf, juniper berries, onion). Smørrebrød, born in the 19th century from buffet leftovers placed on bread, became THE codified Danish lunch, with its tacit assembly rules.
The contemporary twist : A drizzle of soured cream and a shower of fried capers transform the scholar's sandwich into a chic appetizer bite, without betraying anything.
Ejnar Hertzsprung · Charactorium
