The Quick Scandinavian Sandwich I Make on Repeat

It’s fast and filling.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

There have been times when I have ordered a sandwich during the summer in Helsinki, and part of me couldn’t remember if I was enjoying lunch, an afternoon snack, a light dinner, or a late night bite after an evening out on the town. When the sun never sets, it’s blissfully easy to lose track of time altogether. 

The Perfect Scandinavian Anytime Meal

The ideal anytime meal in this part of the world is an open-faced sandwich. In Denmark, they are called smørrebrød, but in Finland, where my dad’s side of the family is from, look for voileivät on the menu. 

The idea is similar across the Scandinavian and Nordic landscape. A single piece of bread or cracker (typically rye) is piled high with a variety of ingredients and decorated with herbs and other toppings until it resembles an edible work of art. 

In Helsinki, my favorite place to order one of these sandwiches is the Fazer Cafe near the Esplanade with a view of the sea not far in the distance. It's from the memories of the voileivät I tasted there that I drew inspiration to recreate the experience back home. 

This easy recipe is enough to make four open-faced sandwiches, depending on the size of your bread. Should there be any leftover filling, pick up some Finn Crisp or Wasa crackers to scoop up and nibble on the remainder as a midnight snack from the land of the midnight sun. 

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

What Kind of Bread To Use

A hearty piece of rye bread is the ideal base for this sort of sandwich. I’m talking dark, flat, and chewy, 100 percent sourdough rye. A fluffy slice of American-style bread won’t cut it here. Luckily, I live near a grocery store that carries rye pocket bread from Estonia, which is almost identical to what is found across Finland. 

When I am feeling nostalgic (and not ready to bake my own batch), there is also a bakery in Pennsylvania called Arctic Swan that does a terrific mail -rder business of Finnish delicacies. If rye isn’t your cup of tea, go for a hearty, whole-grain bread that is sturdy enough to handle the toppings. 

How To Make My Scandinavian Shrimp Sandwich

For four open-faced sandwiches (two servings), you’ll need:

• 2 rye bread pockets, split, or 4 slices dark rye sourdough bread
• 1 lemon  
• 2 cups (8 ounces) small cooked tail-off shrimp, thawed (100-200 count per pound)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• English cucumber slices
• 1 hard boiled egg, cut into 4 wedges
• Dill sprigs, optional

Split open the rye bread pockets and place face up on your work surface (or lay the rye bread slices on the work surface). Zest half of the lemon, and slice the other half of the lemon into rounds for garnish and set aside. Juice the remaining zested half of the lemon until you have 1 teaspoon of juice. 

In a small bowl combine the shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Fan out some cucumber slices on top of the bread. Evenly divide the shrimp among the bread and top each with a wedge of hard boiled egg. Garnish with the reserved lemon rounds and sprigs of fresh dill, if desired. Enjoy immediately. 

Any leftover shrimp mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

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