Philippe brought this recipe back from Denmark. For two years in a row, he went to the North Sea with friends at Easter, wrapped in five-millimeter neoprene, out on a surfboard, and by evening, by the fireplace. In his luggage: a few cans of sardines. From Danish eating habits and whatever was on hand, he created his own version of smørrebrød — sweet and sour, spicy, refreshing. Back home in Berlin, we made it again, and because it impressed us a second time, it’s here.
Denmark · Aperitif or light dinner
Smørrebrød with sardines
Nothing is cooked here — it’s just chopped, marinated, and layered. Most of it is done in fifteen minutes, and the ten-minute resting time does the work for you. Perfect as an aperitif for two or a light dinner for one.
Ingredients
For the smørrebrød · serves 1–2
Preparation
The sardines
1
Drain the sardines and cut them in half lengthwise.
2
Drizzle generously with lemon juice, spread thinly with sour cream, season lightly with salt, and let rest for 10 minutes.
The topping
3
Finely chop the apple, or grate it coarsely if you prefer a coarser texture.
4
Finely chop the gherkin and carrot as well, and mix everything together.
Plating
5
Toast the rye bread until it’s crispy.
6
Top the marinated sardines with the apple, gherkin, and carrot mixture, season with fresh pepper, and serve with the warm bread.
Tip
Traditionally, smørrebrød is eaten assembled, so top everything on the bread. It’s just as good if you leave the sardines on the plate and serve the bread on the side. We tried both and couldn’t decide.
Photos: Pascal Gemmer and Jan-Ole Schmidt
