Smoked Herring Smörgås. Photo: Andres Ramirez aprphotography.com
One of our favorite appetizers from The Lazy Gourmet is our version of the Scandinavian open-faced sandwich (smørrebrød, smørbrød, and smörgås to the Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes). Smörgås are a diverse and adaptable traditional dish that look beautiful and are easy to make. Simply butter a piece of hearty dark bread and pile it neatly with your favorite meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, eggs, herbs, or whatever else you fancy. Cocktail-sized, sliced pumpernickel loaves are available at many supermarkets and delis—but if you can’t find them, just get a large square loaf and cut four slices into quarters. You can also use crispy rye crackerbreads made by companies like Kavli or Wasa. We love to serve smörgås for brunch, lunch, or as an appetizer.
Smoked Herring Smörgås
From The Lazy Gourmet
16 cocktail-sized (about 2 1/2″ square) slices of pumpernickel bread
3–4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 large cucumber slices
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 7-ounce can smoked herring fillets, cut into 1-inch squares about 1/4-inch thick
1–2 large sprigs of fresh dill
Generously butter each piece of bread. Stack a slice of cucumber, a slice of egg (from the middle of the egg, so it includes some yolk), and a piece of fish onto the buttered bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and top with a pinch or two of dill.
Makes 16 mini-sandwiches.
