Well, we bought one can of cod roe on our last visit to Denmark. That means you, dear reader, have to read about 3 different cod roe sandwich recipes as we munch our way through it. Luckily, it tastes pretty good. This second installment is cod roe with mayonnaise, sun dried tomatoes red bell peppers, and absolutely drenched in lime. Add a bit of onion for the unavoidable ‘crunch’ of course. Very nice. If you can find cod roe at a fishmonger, get it fresh instead of in a can. Cod roe by the way is a very common sandwich in Denmark, and probably comparable to the ‘spam’ phenomenon in the US. I imagine Americans may find a cod roe sandwich a bit weird, much as I as a Dane find anything with spam a bit weird. Let us know in your comments what you think.
When I was a kid, every other weekend I would spend with my dad and my step-mom. They lived in an old house in a residential neighborhood outside Copenhagen, with a great big yard with lots of plants and flowers and tables tucked away in corners. We always ate lunch outside when the weather was good, and I remember at the time I didn’t like it that much because of the bees, but it really was an amazing place to enjoy a good meal.
When I came visiting, often the first thing that greeted me was the smell of baked liver Pâté. My step-mom made the best liver Pâté I’ve ever had, and while it baked the whole house would take on the flavor and everyone would start gathering in the kitchen when we knew it was just about time to remove it from the oven. Ten minutes before, we would start toasting some dark rye bread and setup lunch outside. We would all gather the plates, cutlery and work together as a team, knowing that the reward was just around the corner.
The sound of the old timer’s bell chiming was the most wonderful thing you’ll ever hear. As we sat outside in the sun, making our warm liver pâté sandwiches, a silence fell as we enjoyed that first bite.
Perhaps I make it sound overly romantic, but that’s my own experience with this pate. My step-mom’s secret ingredient was curry, and she never gave it away. A few years ago cancer overcame her, and we thought her recipe was lost forever. However, a couple of months ago while I was visiting Denmark, I asked my sister again if she had found the recipe, and to my surprise she had. Tucked away in a pile of papers that had gone unnoticed for years, there it was.
So now, for the first time in maybe 15 years, this pâté which I have named Maria’s Liver Pâté after my step-mom, has finally seen the light of day again.
And once more, the house smells like childhood and summer and bees and flowers, and everything is as it should be.
Maria's Liver Pâté Sandwich with pickles and fried onions
It can sometimes be very hard to find a great liver paté in your local grocery stores. Thankfully, creating one from scratch is easier than you might think, and the result is amazing. This recipe was handed down to me from my step mother Maria, who wooed everyone she knew with this magic creation. It is simply the best liver pâté I have ever had anywhere, and that says a lot. It is also very easy to make, given you can find the raw ingredients, which are not that common anymore, but which any decent butcher should be able to divine.
It’s easy to buy pre-made tuna salads in a store, but it’s so much more fun and creative to do it yourself. The whole process takes about 5 minutes, and you get exactly the taste you want. Spice it up, or keep it mellow. This is our recipe for tuna salad, but every time we make it we change a thing or two. You will find this version on some of our upcoming sandwiches, such as the Tuna Salad Appetizer. Bon Appétit.
This spicy roast beef cheese sandwich has hot (but sweet) chili sauce inside, and is made with a strong pungent cheese as well, both adding to the spicy flavor. It’s made on a toasted ciabatta roll, and has plenty of crunch from the sprouts. Adding a few fresh basil leaves brings it to a whole new level.
Spicy toasted roast beef cheese sandwich with sprouts and fresh basil
This is another of those recipes that we have to add to this otherwise exclusive sandwich blog. These Danish meatballs are great for sandwiches, and will be used in some of our other posts. They also happen to be the national food of Denmark, and is consumed by everyone by bulk. They are great with mashed potatoes (Which in turn is great on mashed potato sandwiches), or as a side to a salad. Total cooking time is about 50 minutes, some of which is spent waiting for the meat to cool down before frying. Simple.Easy.Good.
While this recipe is ingrained as part of the danish culture, we notices that some american blogs have also gotten a hold of it, most noticeably the excellent simply recipes which we love to read. It’s nice to see these easy and excellent frikadeller spreading out in the world.
Danish Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Fennel Seeds and Onion
I consider this a variation on the veterinarians midnight snack, a classic Danish sandwich (In Danish: ‘Dyrlægens natmad‘. Try saying that one!). The bones of Anders’ Viking ancestors will rattle in their graves to protest me saying this, but in this variant, the inclusion of the roasted garlic and the removal of the aspic is a HUGE improvement. Together, those simple actions make this sandwhich palatable for me, a non-Dane. Anders thinks this presentation is a bit more playful, looking a bit like a rib cage or something medieval. I suppose, it’s his attempt at appeasing the spirits 🙂 It consists of liver pate on home-baked rye bread with butter, with a rolled up slice of ham. This is topped with half-moon slices of onion rings, roasted garlic and a couple of dill pickles. Fennel seeds and ground black pepper spices it up a bit.
Liver Pate sandwich with ham, onions, roasted garlic, sweet pickles, and pepper
For some, if not most, the concept of having a mashed potato sandwich may seem disturbing. However, if you find yourself wondering whether you are loosing your mind, you probably have never tasted one. They are delicious! So overcome your inhibitions, and make a mashed potato sandwich next time you have a little leftover. For this one I felt like adding flax seeds and ham. Since I want the ‘crunch’, I toasted half a ciabatta roll, and added fried onions on top for good measure. For a little hint of sourness, sweet dill pickles always does the trick, and a sprinkled of my newfound love, Dukkah, seals the deal.
Mashed potato sandwich with dukkah, mayonnaise, flak seeds, ham and fried onions
I have to admit I was looking forward to this beauty before we even started making the smoked spareribs. In fact, while we passed the Costco food isle, I saw this great spare ribs sale and I couldn’t help thinking of what a fantastic sandwich I could make with the leftovers. So, a couple of days later, after feasting on the ribs I finally got around to making this. I wanted to really bring out the flavor of the pork, while adding some classic ‘steak’ flavors on top. So, sautéed mushrooms and sweet chili sauce plus of course a few onion rings for the crunch factor.
Smoked Pork Spare Ribs Sandwich with Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions
Admittingly, I never envisioned adding scrambled eggs to roast beef. It just seems wrong, but scrambled eggs were being made for dinner and so I thought, “Why not”. You can call this the serendipitous sandwich because lo and behold, it actually turned out quite tasty. For a little extra crunch, I added onions (both fried and raw, sliced). Another serendipitous discovery was just how good tomato relish was on this – it went suprisingly well with the eggs and roast beef.
Roast beef ciabatta sandwich with scrambled eggs, tomato relish and onions
