Recipe: herb bread and smörrebröd served two ways

Enjoy smörre and spreads

A Scandinavian-inspired midsummer celebration should include dishes that also come from the far north. Danish smörrebröd is a type of rye bread that labourers often took in their packed lunch. Nowadays the term ‘smörrebröd’ is used more widely, and covers all sorts of crispy crackers and tasty breads. Our version is inspired by this, but is based more on the ‘bread with spreads’ idea. We’ve got two versions of delicious smörrebröd with climbing fruit and herbs, and one herb bread.

You will need the following for the smörrebröd with blackberries, beets & vanilla (serves 4-6)

  • 150 g cooked beets, cut into chunks

  • 100 g blackberries

  • 2 tbsp light olive oil + extra for garnish

  • ½ vanilla pod

  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • some sprigs of lemon thyme

  • 200g hüttenkäse cheese

  • knäckebröd (Swedish crispbread)

  • salt

Mix the beets, blackberries, olive oil, seeds from the vanilla pod, red wine vinegar and leaves from a few sprigs of lemon thyme together. Season with salt.

Transfer the hüttenkäse to a bowl and spread the prepared beet and blackberry mix across the top. Sprinkle with extra olive oil if required, and serve with knäckebröd.

You will need the following for the smörrebröd with radishes, herbs & lemon  (serves 4-6)

  • 150 g radishes, sliced thinly 

  • Handful of green herbs (dill, lemon balm, chives etc.)

  • olive oil + extra for garnish

    - ½ lemon
  • 200 g Hüttenkäse cheese
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • knäckebröd (Swedish crispbread)

Mix the radish slices with finely chopped green herbs, some olive oil and the zest and juice of half a lemon and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer the hüttenkäse to a bowl and add the radishes. Sprinkle with extra olive oil if required, and serve with knäckebröd.

 

You will need the following for the herb bread

  • 1 sourdough loaf
  • olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 125 g butter
  • 5 sprigs of rosemary
  • 10 bay leaves
  • 5 sprigs of sage
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200° C. Slice the bread at 2 cm intervals, but make sure you don’t cut all the way through. Warm the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. Fry the garlic for a few minutes until golden brown and then mix it through the butter. Season the butter with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread some butter and herbs in each cut in the bread. Bake the bread in the oven for approx. 10 minutes until golden brown, and serve warm.

The herb bread should be served on a rustic wooden board. The smörrebröd with spreads should be served in an attractive dish or on antique plates. Also take a look at the recipe for bream and the matching cocktails. Enjoy!

*One more thing: never tuck in to just any old (cut) flower or plant; only use edible flowers from specialist suppliers that have been grown for human consumption. 

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