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Vegetarian smørrebrød
Danish open sandwiches on rye: egg and cress, new potato and chive, radish and herb butter
Smørrebrød, 'buttered bread', is Denmark's lunch: a single slice of dense rye bread, buttered right to the edges and piled with toppings so carefully arranged they are eaten with a knife and fork. Copenhagen lunch restaurants such as the old cellar places around Nyhavn serve them in a set order, and at home they make up a Sunday or Christmas lunch table (det kolde bord). Many classics use fish or meat, but three of the best-loved toppings are vegetarian: sliced egg with tomato and cress, waxy new potatoes with crisp onion and chives (kartoffelmad), and peppery radishes on salted butter. Chef's tip: butter the bread thickly and all the way to the crust; in Denmark the butter is the glue that holds the toppings and keeps the rye from going soggy.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the base
Egg and tomato (æg og tomat)
New potato (kartoffelmad)
Radish (radiser)
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 3 eggs into boiling water and cook over a medium heat for 9 minutes for firm but still golden yolks. Cool them in cold water, peel and slice.
9 minStep 2: Boil 10 ½ oz small waxy new potatoes in salted water for 12–15 minutes, until just tender to a knife but still holding their shape. Cool completely, then slice into 5 mm rounds. Warm or freshly cut potato slides off the bread; using them cold is the trick.
15 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp rapeseed oil in a small pan over a medium heat, add 1 small red onion and fry, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until deep golden and crisp at the edges and smelling sweet. Drain on kitchen paper; it crisps further as it cools.
6 minStep 4: Spread 6 slices Danish rye bread (rugbrød) slices with 2 ⅛ oz salted butter, thickly and right to the edges. Cut each slice in half if you want smaller pieces.
Step 5: Egg: spread two slices with 2 tbsp mayonnaise, cover with overlapping slices of 2 ripe tomatoes, then egg slices, and finish with a tuft of 1 punnet mustard cress.
Step 6: Potato: arrange the potato slices in neat overlapping rows on two slices, so no bread shows. Top with a small spoonful of 3 tbsp crème fraîche, the crisp onions and plenty of 1 small bunch chives.
Step 7: Radish: cover the last two buttered slices with fanned 10 radishes. Scatter with 1 tbsp dill, ½ tsp flaky sea salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
Step 8: Serve straight away on a board, eaten with a knife and fork; the bread should still be firm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian smørrebrød take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of salted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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