If you have ever sat in a French café and ordered breakfast, you have probably encountered the word tartine. When talking about le petit déjeuner, it refers to a split baguette with butter and jam.
But in France a tartine can also be an open face sandwich on a slice of baguette. Sort of the French version of an Italian bruschetta but with French ingredients. A baguette slice spread with goat cheese and topped with strawberries, for example, or buttered and topped with thinly sliced radishes and chives. Though you’ll see lots of recipes for them in the food magazines, they are not particularly common in France, except perhaps for a fancy apéro.
But we visited Denmark this summer, where the smørrebrød, which is the Danish version of an open faced sandwich, is everywhere. And it dazzles! There are entire restaurants devoted to smørrebrød--we ate in one, see Ron digging in, above. They look stunning, and I have never seen sandwiches quite like them. I was completely blown away at an indoor market especially, where multiple versions were displayed in a glass case, like so many colorful jewels. They are culinary works of art.
I was not fond of the traditional base of the smørrebrød, which is a dry, thinly-sliced sourdough rye, heavy and dark, called rugbrød. Its density evolved due to the origin of the sandwich. The back story is, farm workers used to pile leftovers onto stale bread to put in their lunch boxes, the bread supporting the whole thing. The advantage to dry or toasted bread is that you can make the sandwich ahead without the bread getting soggy. The smørrebrød is always spread generously with butter first, to give it another layer of protection. When I make these myself I will use regular sandwich rye or pumpernickel, and toast it. Toasted baguette slices would work as well.
When making or eating the smørrebrød--there are rules! Butter the bread first, then add thin toppings, then the beefier ones. Use only one protein per sandwich; proteins are not mixed, even cheese with meat. Any protein can be a player, even meatballs or fried fish. Layer on something crunchy (radish slices, celery, onions) and shower some fresh herbs on top. Garnish lavishly.
If eating several at a time, which is the custom, go in the proper order: start with their beloved pickled herring, then other seafoods or boiled eggs, then on to the meat, veggies, and finally those with cheese. Use your knife and fork to eat them.
We must try these at home! So, lay your base with your favorite toasted bread, put on your artist's hat, and get creative with those toppings. I took lots of photos to inspire us!
Velbekomme, and bon appétit!
In the COMMENTS: Anne, I hope you and your better 3/4 will get to France next year. Maybe Beaune? Natalia, you have a great idea, I haven't re-read Peter Mayle in years, and it will be great fun to do so, since my memoire is not what it used to be. Sandy, it seems impossible that I've never read MFK Fisher, and I plan to start with your suggestion, merci.
Once in a while I have the pleasure of meeting my far-away readers. Francine and Jean from Portland, it was lovely to meet you last week!
And for our occasional feature, Be Kind to Your Fellow Animals, I have this suggestion, for anyone who is bored, depressed, or just needs a lift: try fostering! Animal shelters are always in need of folks to house animals temporarily or to socialize feral ones, while waiting on adoption. It's also a good way to try out a pet to see if it's a good fit. I fostered and socialized abandoned kittens for a couple of years, and it was SO much fun, and rewarding. (But beware of foster failures! We have one, called Vino Bambino). And yes it's hard to give them up, but it's so gratifying to know you've saved the life of an animal and sent them off to a forever home. You can read more about fostering here.
The photos below are some litters I've fostered. The last one on the left, the sassy gray one trimmed in white, kept sneaking out of the "nursery" bedroom for snuggles, and in the end refused to leave.
