Smørrebrød means ‘buttered bread’, but Danish open sandwiches are very much more than that. They are made with thin slices of any type of rye bread, crusty French bread, toasted or plain, or crispbreads. These are spread with butter, or fat such as spiced pork dripping, right to the edge of the bread to prevent any moisture from the topping making the bread soggy. The fat helps to hold everything in place.
The generous toppings turn the sandwiches into a meal; they are eaten at lunch, and always with a knife and fork.
Toppings are generally made up from foods found in the household pantry or refrigerator. Cold roast meats or poultry, tinned or spiced fish, potato salad, cheese, mayonnaise, cold scrambled or hard-boiled eggs. The delicatessen supplies salami, smoked pork and beef, ham, liver sausage, smoked salmon or mackerel, along with capers, horseradish, gherkins and pickles. Fresh vegetables play an important role – tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, onions – as do herbs, such as chives, dill and cress.