Scandinavian Christmas - Smørrebrød

I had never heard the term smørrebrød until I began planning our Danish themed meal. Very simply put, smørrebrød are simply open faced sandwiches which begin with a slice of dense bread, spread with a liberal amount of butter and then your choice of toppings. A firm rule is that you eat these delicious sandwiches with a knife and fork and you NEVER add a top slice of bread.

Marcus Schioler, the blogger behind Danish Sandwich, explains that smørrebrød ought to be "arranged in such a way that it looks nice, with more detailed texture and contrast than an ordinary sandwich." 

I chose Ezekiel bread which has no flour, but a lot of whole grains and seeds. I think it was a reasonable compromise. Next, to choose our toppings. A recurring theme in recipes I researched included smoked salmon and pickled herring. Remember to begin with a thick layer of butter and then have fun adding complimentary toppings.

Let's begin with the 4 o'clock position and go around the serving platter!

Sliced pears, blue cheese crumbles and chopped pecans

Thinly sliced roast beef, a little bit of horseradish and watercress.

Sliced boiled eggs, halved grape tomatoes, a sprinkling of salt and fresh dill.

Quartered boiled eggs, a sprinkling of salt, diced red onion and watercress.

Thinly sliced roast beef, crumbled blue cheese

Sliced pears, blue cheese crumbles and chopped pecans

Quartered boiled eggs, a sprinkling of salt, diced red onion and watercress.

Thinly sliced roast beef, crumbled blue cheese

Sliced boiled eggs, halved grape tomatoes, a sprinkling of salt and fresh dill.

Thinly sliced roast beef, a little bit of horseradish and watercress.

Sliced pears, blue cheese crumbles and chopped pecans 

And then in the middle of the platter, smoked salmon, diced red onions and fresh dill.

Beginning at 3 o'clock position:

Thinly sliced radish, sprinkling of salt, watercress.
Thinly sliced roast beef, blue cheese crumbles.
Smoked salmon, sour cream, diced red onions, fresh dill.
Boiled eggs mixed with sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, fresh dill
Smoked salmon, sour cream, diced red onions, fresh dill.
Thinly sliced roast beef, blue cheese crumbles.
And in the middle, smoked salmon, fresh dill.

The colors are just gorgeous, aren't they?

I could definitely see having a Smørrebrød party and let everybody mix and match their favorite flavors and make their own combinations.  These were a huge hit.