Halibut Salad Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød is a staple lunch dish you’ll find in any Danish home. Essentially an open-faced sandwich involving a protein, a vegetable, and herbs on buttered bread, there’s a Smørrebrød variation for everyone.

Both hearty and refreshing at the same time, this traditional halibut interpretation by Sybille van Kempen and Licia Kassim Householder is universally loved. The recipe comes from their Loaves & Fishes Farm Series Cookbook: Food Store, which is full of other simple recipes using essential ingredients to create splendid, unique dishes.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds halibut filet, skin and bones removed
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup finely chopped red onion
• ⅓ cup finely chopped dill
• ¼ cup drained capers
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

• 6 slices dark rye or whole grain bread
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and dried

Halibut Salad

Brush a large sheet pan with olive oil. Cut the halibut into 8 equal pieces and place onto sheet tray. Turn the pieces once to coat both sides with oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool completely.

Place cooled halibut into a large mixing bowl and add lemon juice, zest, vinegar, mayo, celery, onion, dill, capers, salt and pepper. Mix gently, breaking up the halibut, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Salad can be chilled until sandwiches are ready to be assembled.

Smørrebrød Assembly

Lay out slices of bread onto a board or platter and spread with softened butter. Place a lettuce leaf on each slice and top with a large spoonful of halibut salad. Serve immediately.