Ingredients
Prawns
- 500 gsmall cold-water prawns, peeled, the sweet Nordic kind
Dressing
- 4 tbspgood mayonnaise
- 3 tbspcrème fraîche or smetana
- 1large bunch dill, finely chopped
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tspDijon mustard, optional
- white pepper
- salt, carefully
Toast
- 4thick slices white bread, crusts removed
- 80 gbutter
To finish
- 50 gwhitefish roe, löjrom, or another fine roe
- extra dill
- lemon wedges
To serve
- as a starter
- with a cold beer or aquavit
Directions
- Toast Skagen was created by the Stockholm restaurateur Tore Wretman in the 1950s, who named his shrimp and dill toast after the Danish fishing town of Skagen. The name is the only Danish thing about it: the dish is Swedish, invented in Stockholm, and it is on the menu of practically every Swedish restaurant.
- Use small cold-water prawns, the sweet Nordic ones, not large tropical prawns. Small cold-water prawns are sweet, tender and delicate. Drain them properly and pat them dry, since water in the prawns thins the dressing into a puddle. Keep them whole rather than chopping them.
- Mix the mayonnaise with the crème fraîche. The crème fraîche lightens the mayonnaise and adds a slight sourness, and mayonnaise alone is too heavy and cloying. Use a good mayonnaise, and homemade is noticeably better if you have it. Now the dill, and there should be a great deal of it.
- Chop a large bunch finely and use far more than seems reasonable. The dressing should be visibly green with it. Use the soft fronds and discard the thick stems. Add the lemon juice and white pepper. White pepper rather than black, which is the Swedish habit and keeps the dressing pale.
- Fold rather than stir, keeping the prawns whole. The mixture goes watery within an hour as the prawns release liquid into the dressing, so it is not made far ahead.
- Cut the crusts off the bread and fry the slices in butter until golden on both sides. The bread is crisp, rich and golden rather than dry. Use plenty of butter and a moderate heat, and turn the slices once. Drain them briefly on kitchen paper. Now assemble immediately, while the toast is hot and crisp. Pile a generous mound of the prawn mixture onto each slice.
- Assemble it at the last second. The toast softens under the dressing within minutes, and the contrast of crisp bread against cold prawns is the whole dish. Add a sprig of dill and a lemon wedge. Serve it immediately, as a starter, with a cold beer or a glass of aquavit.
Technique
- Tore Wretman also invented or revived several other Swedish restaurant classics.
- Löjrom from Kalix holds a protected designation of origin.
- The mixture waters down if made far in advance.
Substitutions
- Any small sweet cold-water prawn.
- Any fine roe in place of löjrom.
Variations
- Made as small canapés.
- With a little grated horseradish in the dressing.
- Served on rye bread rather than fried white.
History
Created by Stockholm restaurateur Tore Wretman in the 1950s, who named the shrimp and dill toast after the Danish fishing town of Skagen.
Frequently asked questions
What is Toast Skagen?
Toast Skagen is a snack from Sweden: prawns in dill mayonnaise piled on sautéed toast. Created by Stockholm restaurateur Tore Wretman in the 1950s, who named the shrimp and dill toast after the Danish fishing town of Skagen.
How long does Toast Skagen take to make?
Toast Skagen takes 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Toast Skagen?
Yes, within limits. Any small sweet cold-water prawn. Any fine roe in place of löjrom.
What is the most important thing to get right in Toast Skagen?
Toast Skagen was created by the Stockholm restaurateur Tore Wretman in the 1950s, who named his shrimp and dill toast after the Danish fishing town of Skagen. The name is the only Danish thing about it: the dish is Swedish, invented in Stockholm, and it is on the menu of practically every Swedish restaurant.
