Medisterpølse Smørrebrød
Recipes with Medisterpølse
An open-faced Danish sandwich built on a thick slice of dark rye bread: pan-fried medisterpølse slices, braised red cabbage, crisp fried onions, and a sprig of parsley. Smørrebrød is the dominant lunchtime format in Denmark, and medisterpølse is one of the classic warm toppings alongside frikadeller and leverpostej. The bread must be good rugbrød and the sausage must be fried until the exterior is dark, not just cooked through.
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Servings
2
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
- 300 g medisterpølse, sliced into rounds 1.5 cm thick
- 2 thick slices rugbrød (Danish rye bread)
- Butter for the bread
- 4 tbsp braised red cabbage (rødkål)
- 1 large onion, sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Oil for frying the onion rings
- Fresh parsley sprigs
- Salt
Steps
Toss the onion rings in flour seasoned with salt, shaking off the excess. Fry in a centimetre of oil over medium-high heat until golden and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper and season with a pinch of salt while hot.
Fry the sausage rounds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply brown on both flat faces. The slices will release their own fat. Set aside.
Butter the rugbrød slices thinly. Smørrebrød uses a thin layer of butter as a moisture barrier between the bread and the topping, not as a flavour element.
Spoon a thin layer of rødkål onto each bread slice, spreading it to the edges. Lay the hot sausage slices on top in a single layer. Pile the crisp onion rings over the sausage. Finish with a sprig of fresh parsley.
Tips
Smørrebrød is eaten with a knife and fork, never picked up. The bread should be cut the same width as a standard rugbrød slice, about 10 cm wide. Rødkål from a jar works for this recipe: rinse it briefly under cold water if it is very sweet. The key contrast is the crunch of the onion rings against the soft mince of the sausage.