Rød pølse

Ingredients

Sausages

• 4rød pølse, Danish red boiled sausages

Bread

• 4hot dog buns, soft
• or 4 slices of white bread, for a nøgen pølse

To dress

• Danish remoulade
• tomato ketchup
• Danish mustard
• ristede løg, crispy fried onions
• raw chopped onion
• sliced pickled cucumber, agurkesalat

To serve

• chocolate milk or a soft drink, which is the standard pairing

Directions

1. Bring a pan of water to just below a simmer, around 80°C (175°F). Never boil them.
2. Warm the buns briefly, in the steam above the pan or in a bun warmer. Steaming the bun rather than toasting it is the Danish way, and it should be soft and warm right through.
3. Squeeze remoulade and mustard down one side of the bun and ketchup down the other.
4. Lay the hot sausage into the bun.
5. Scatter raw chopped onion and then crispy fried onions over the top. Raw and fried onion together is the Danish combination: one sharp and wet, the other sweet and crunchy.
6. Finish with two or three slices of pickled cucumber laid along the top.
7. Serve immediately, wrapped in paper, and eat it standing at the wagon. For a ristet hotdog the bun is toasted and hollowed with a hot spike instead, and the sauces go inside the cavity.

Technique

• Rød pølse is sold in every Danish supermarket and in Scandinavian shops abroad.
• The red is a surface dye and the meat inside is an ordinary pale pork sausage.
• The wagons are fewer than they were and are regarded with real affection.

Substitutions

• Any mild boiled pork sausage or frankfurter.
• Shop-bought Danish remoulade, which is what everyone uses.

Variations

• Ristet hotdog, in a toasted hollowed bun.
• Nøgen pølse, served naked with bread on the side.
• Fransk hotdog, in a hollowed baguette with dressing inside.

History

The bright red boiled sausage sold from pølsevogn wagons, which were licensed on Danish streets from 1921 and became a national institution.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rød pølse?

Rød pølse is a street food from Denmark: red-dyed boiled sausage from pølsevogn carts; remoulade, crispy onions. The bright red boiled sausage sold from pølsevogn wagons, which were licensed on Danish streets from 1921 and became a national institution.

How long does Rød pølse take to make?

Rød pølse takes 10 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 hot dogs. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Rød pølse?

Yes, within limits. Any mild boiled pork sausage or frankfurter. Shop-bought Danish remoulade, which is what everyone uses.

What is the most important thing to get right in Rød pølse?

Bring a pan of water to just below a simmer, around 80°C (175°F). Never boil them.