The Scandinavian Open Sandwich

Open Sandwich with Smoked Mackerel and Pickled Beetroot & Apple

Open sandwiches (smörgås) are a favourite of mine and also one of the simplest things to create. You don’t need a recipe for them, it’s really just about using your favourite kind of bread and adding the toppings that you’d like to go on it.

Begin by spreading just the right amount of butter on your chosen bread. On the subject of bread, it really has had a bad press of late but we’re not talking about the beige, full of preservatives kind, no a lovely dark rye with pumpkin and sunflower seeds will do the job just nicely. For the topping, in Sweden it is common to use the typical, thinly sliced Swedish cheese, to which you can then add whatever you would like, including things like thinly sliced vegetables or fruit and pickles. There are an infinite number of different variations that you could use.

In my case, I am using a dark rye bread flavoured with caraway.  The topping, a generous mound of cream cheese flavoured with freshly grated horseradish, followed by my home hot smoked mackerel (available to buy at all supermarkets) and then lightly pickled beetroot and apple salad. Topped with the garlic of the north, dill!

Open sandwiches make for a marvellous simple snack or, if you have a couple of them, a satisfying lunch too. They are a really delicious way to have a simple, balanced meal.

Print Recipe

Lightly Pickled Beetroot & Apple Salad

Prep Time20 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Swedish

Servings: 4 Servings

Author: Louise

Ingredients

• 50 mls water
• 35 g Caster Sugar
• 50 mls Spirit Vinegar or White wine vinegar
• 2 Medium Beetroot
• 2 Granny Smith Apples
• A Sprinkling of Malden Salt
• a small handful of Dill

Instructions

• Peel the beetroot and peel and core the apple, cut them into matchsticks size pieces. Combine the sugar, water, salt and vinegar and pour over the beetroot and apple. Cover and refrigerate for an hour and then serve. Add chopped dill or sprinkle on top.
• Can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.