Smørrebrød with Sardines, Tomato-Fennel Compote and Lemon Oil
Smørrebrød with sardines, tomato-fennel compote and lemon oil © kvalifood.com
Sardines on smørrebrød is not a traditional Danish combination, but a crossover between Mediterranean cooking and the Danish rye bread table. Sardines have an intense, oily flavour that can handle bold accompaniments, and the tomato-fennel compote with fennel seeds and basil pulls the dish towards Southern Europe. The anise note of the fennel plays surprisingly well with the deep, fishy character of the sardines. If using fresh sardines, fry them quickly over high heat so the skin crisps while the flesh stays moist. Good-quality tinned sardines also work — they have a softer texture and a more intense flavour from the oil they are packed in.
Ingredients
Yields 4 servings
Tomato-fennel compote
- 1 small fennel bulb, cut into small dice
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, torn
Lemon oil
- 3 tbsp good olive oil
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt
Assembly
- 4 slices dark rye bread
- butter, for the bread
- 8 fresh sardines, cleaned (or 2 tins good sardines in oil)
- fresh parsley
- flaky salt
- coarsely crushed black pepper
Directions
Tomato-fennel compote
Fry the shallot and fennel in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste. Stir in the basil at the end.
Sardines (fresh)
Season with salt. Fry in olive oil over high heat, 2 minutes per side.
Assembly
Butter the rye bread. Spread the tomato-fennel compote over. Place the sardines on top. Drizzle with lemon oil. Garnish with parsley, flaky salt and pepper.