Roast Beef, Pickle, and Horseradish Smørrebrød (Danish Open-Faced Sandwich)

Roast Beef, Pickle, and Horseradish Sm\u00f8rrebr\u00f8d (Danish Open-Faced Sandwich)
  • Yield:1 sandwich
  • Active time:5 minutes
  • Total time:5 minutes

Roast beef, pickle, and horseradish smørrebrød [Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

The combination of chewy meat, crunchy pickles, and shredded horseradish give this smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwich) an irresistible blend of textures. To keep things simple, this recipe calls for prepared roast beef and bottled horseradish.

Note: If you cannot access rugbrød, substitute bread with a dark, whole grain rye.

Ingredients

  • 1 slice rugbrød (dense Danish sourdough rye bread), about 1/3-inch thick
  • 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter, slightly softened
  • 1/8 pound sliced roast beef, cut into about 6 (1-inch) squares
  • 4 cornichons, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • Thinly sliced red onion, to garnish
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Directions

  1. 1.

    If not already trimmed, cut rye bread to a 3- by 5-inch rectangle.

  2. 2.

    Spread butter evenly all over top side of bread.

  3. 3.

    Arrange roast beef on butter, covering the surface evenly. Sprinkle cornichons and sliced red onion on top. Finish with a dollop of horseradish in the center. Serve right away.