The Art of Smørrebrød in Five Favourite Recipes

Smørrebrød, or Danish open-faced sandwiches, are both a tradition and culinary art form in Denmark. From everyday eateries to fine dining, these creative sandwiches are a local favourite in culinary hot spots around Copenhagen and beyond.

While there are some traditional favourites, you can always go carte blanche with your own toppings, but there are some basics to follow to perfecting that real smørrebrød.

How to make smørrebrød?

At their simplest, smørrebrød consist of a slice of bread with butter and toppings. The bread is typically rye bread, but also slices of white bread or pale bread can be used for the base.

As a general rule, smørrebrød are constructed following some simple rules:

1. A slice of bread (generally rye bread).
2. Butter. 
3. Spreads.
4. Topping and decorations can be fish, meat or vegetarian. And any ingredient from eel, herring, salmon, shrimp and fish fillet to meat like, liver pate, roast beef, ham and beef to various salads such as egg salad, ham salad, tuna salad and Italian salad.

For vegetarian, meatless smørrebrød, there's avocado, potato, cheese or tomato.

Once you've mastered the simple construction technique you can get to work on some of the best smørrebrød combinations.

How to make smørrebrød in five popular recipes

Smørrebrød with pickled herring

Pickled herring is one of the most classic smørrebrød recipes, with herring, red onion and capers.

Smørrebrød with Potato

Sliced bolled potatoes, mayonnaise and chives on a bed of lettuce on rye make this a simple meat-free smørrebrød favourite.

Flæskesteg (roast pork)

Slices of roasted back of pork, with crispy crackling, served on rye bread with pickled red cabbage and gherkins.

Smørrebrød with meatballs

Pan-fried crispy brown meatballs with red cabbage and a cucumber salad.

Smørrebrød with shrimp

Rejemad (shrimps): Fresh prawns on a white loaf, served with fresh mayonnaise, lemon, a sprig of dill, and possibly a tiny dollop of caviar.

And if you want to up your game, here's a recipe for a deluxe version: