Ingredients
The sandwich
- 4 slicesdense dark rye bread
- 4whole smoked herring, bought, or 8 smoked herring fillets
- 4very fresh egg yolks
- 1 bunchradishes, sliced thin
- 1large bunch chives, chopped fine
- 4 tbspfinely chopped shallot
- flaky salt and black pepper
To serve
- a glass of cold snaps
- butter for the bread, if you want it
Directions
- Buy the herring already smoked — Bornholm smokehouses cure them in tall chimneys and that is not a kitchen job. Look for whole golden fish rather than pale fillets.
- Lift the fillets off the bone in one piece, running a thumb under the flesh from the head end. Check carefully for pin bones with your fingertips; a smoked herring holds more than you expect.
- Lay the bread out and cover each slice completely with herring, skin removed, in an even layer. Butter it first if you like, though the fish is oily enough to do without.
- Scatter over the chopped shallot and a thick layer of chives, then arrange the radish slices around the edge.
- Separate the egg yolks carefully and set one whole yolk in the middle of each sandwich, in a small hollow pressed into the fish so it does not roll off. That yolk is the sun over Gudhjem, and it goes on whole and unbroken.
- Season with flaky salt and plenty of black pepper, and serve immediately with cold snaps. The yolk is broken and stirred through by the person eating it, not by the cook.
Technique
- Use eggs you would eat raw — very fresh, and from a source you trust. The yolk is not cooked at all, and that is the whole dish.
- Assemble at the last moment. The yolk skins over within a few minutes and the bread goes soggy under the oily fish.
- Chives by the handful, not as a garnish. They are one of the four main components, not decoration.
Substitutions
- Smoked mackerel, which is easier to find and works well, though it is richer and less delicate.
- A pasteurised yolk if raw egg is a concern, though it sets differently and looks duller.
Variations
- Some versions add a spoonful of grated horseradish under the fish.
- Served open on a board for a whole table to build their own, which is how it is often done on Bornholm.
History
Named after the Bornholm fishing town of Gudhjem, where herring were smoked in tall chimneys; the raw yolk is the sun over the town.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sol over Gudhjem?
Sol over Gudhjem is a charcuterie & cured from Denmark: smoked herring on rye with raw egg yolk, radish and chives. Named after the Bornholm fishing town of Gudhjem, where herring were smoked in tall chimneys; the raw yolk is the sun over the town.
How long does Sol over Gudhjem take to make?
Sol over Gudhjem takes 15 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Sol over Gudhjem?
Yes, within limits. Smoked mackerel, which is easier to find and works well, though it is richer and less delicate. A pasteurised yolk if raw egg is a concern, though it sets differently and looks duller.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sol over Gudhjem?
Buy the herring already smoked — Bornholm smokehouses cure them in tall chimneys and that is not a kitchen job. Look for whole golden fish rather than pale fillets.
