Smørrebrød (Smørrebrød) — Danish Open-Faced Rye Sandwiches

• 8 sliceDanish rye bread, rugbrød (dense seeded rye, each slice about 50 g)
• 50 gsalted butter (softened for spreading)
• 160 gpickled herring fillets (drained and cut into bite-size pieces)
• 60 gred onion (thinly sliced)
• 20 gcapers (drained)
• 4 sprigfresh dill
• 2eggs (large)
• 160 gcooked peeled North Atlantic shrimp (drained and patted dry)
• 40 gmayonnaise
• 1lemon (cut into 4 wedges)
• 160 gsliced roast beef (thinly sliced and chilled)
• 60 gDanish remoulade
• 24 gcrispy fried onions
• 12 gprepared horseradish
• 60 gpickled cucumber (thinly sliced)
• 160 gleverpostej (Danish liver pâté)
• 4 slicebacon
• 120 gbutton mushrooms (sliced)
• 10 gunsalted butter
• 80 gpickled beetroot (sliced)
• 2 gfine sea salt
• 1 gblack pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bread first, because rugbrød is the foundation of proper smørrebrød. Spread each slice evenly with the 50 g softened salted butter, covering the surface from edge to edge so the toppings do not soak into the rye bread.

2. 2

   Cook the eggs for the shrimp topping by placing them in a small saucepan and covering them with cold water by 2 cm. Bring to a boil, simmer for 9 minutes, then cool in cold water for 5 minutes before peeling and slicing each egg into 6 neat slices.

3. 3

   Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until crisp and browned. Transfer it to a paper towel and keep 10 g of bacon fat in the pan, then add the sliced mushrooms, 10 g unsalted butter, 1 g salt, and 0.5 g pepper and cook for 4 minutes until glossy and tender.

4. 4

   Warm the leverpostej gently in a small ovenproof dish at 160°C for 8 minutes, just until spreadable and aromatic. Spread 80 g warm leverpostej onto each of 2 buttered rugbrød slices, then top with mushrooms, crisp bacon, and sliced pickled beetroot.

5. 5

   Make 2 pickled herring smørrebrød by arranging the drained herring pieces in overlapping rows on 2 buttered slices. Add the red onion, capers, and dill sprigs, then finish with 0.5 g black pepper distributed across the two sandwiches.

6. 6

   Make 2 shrimp and egg smørrebrød by laying the egg slices down the center of 2 buttered slices. Spoon 20 g mayonnaise onto each sandwich, pile 80 g shrimp over the egg, and garnish each with dill and a lemon wedge for squeezing at the table.

7. 7

   Make 2 roast beef smørrebrød by folding the roast beef slices loosely over the remaining buttered rugbrød. Add 30 g remoulade to each, then garnish with crispy fried onions, horseradish, pickled cucumber, the remaining 1 g salt, and the remaining 0.5 g pepper.

8. 8

   Arrange the finished sandwiches on a large platter with the herring, shrimp, roast beef, and leverpostej varieties kept visually distinct. Serve immediately with a knife and fork, because traditional Danish smørrebrød is generously topped and is normally eaten as a composed plate rather than lifted like a closed sandwich.