Nordic smørrebrød — an open rye sandwich layered with blanched and raw asparagus, tangy horseradish cream, grated cheese, crispy shallots and dill. Elegant and fresh.
- 150ml Creme Fraiche
- 2 tblsp Horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Pinch Pepper
- Dash Vegetable Oil
- 2 Shallots
- 8 White Asparagus
- 8 Asparagus
- 4 slices Rye Bread
- 1 tblsp Butter
- 100g Västerbottensost Cheese
- Sprinking Dill
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Black Pepper
Preparation
- To make the horseradish cream, mix the crème fraîche, grated horseradish, lemon juice, salt and white pepper in a bowl, then refrigerate until serving.
- To make the crispy shallots, heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the sliced shallots, and fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, then season with a pinch of salt.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch half of the asparagus (four white and four green) until tender-crisp, about 2–3 minutes. Have a bowl of iced water ready, and transfer the asparagus straight into it to stop the cooking. Thinly slice the remaining asparagus lengthwise to serve raw.
- Preheat the grill until hot. Spread the rye bread with butter and grill until golden and crisp.
- To serve, place the grilled bread on plates, arrange both the blanched and raw asparagus on top, drizzle with horseradish cream, and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Garnish with the crispy shallots and fresh dill.
