Ingredients
The sprats
- 1 tinspiced Baltic sprats
- kilu, in oil
- about 200 g
- drained, fillets separated
The bread
- 12 slicesdark rye bread
- leib, cut small
- or one loaf, thinly sliced
- butter, softened
The topping
- 4eggs, hard boiled
- thinly sliced
- or grated
- a little soured cream
- optional
To finish
- chopped dill
- or chives
- thin slices of pickled cucumber
- black pepper
- a squeeze of lemon
Directions
- Butter goes on the bread before anything else. Baltic states publish consumption advice about that. Check the current national guidance if it matters to you. It is worth knowing rather than worrying about. Boil the eggs until the yolks are firm. Give them about nine minutes in boiling water.
- Cool the eggs under cold running water at once. That stops them cooking any further. Cool them completely before peeling them. Peel the cooled eggs carefully and completely. Peel under running water if they stick. Slice the eggs into thin even rounds. A sharp thin knife works perfectly well too.
- Drain the sprats and separate the fillets. Lift them out gently with a fork. They are soft and break easily when handled. Let the excess oil drain off them. Too much oil makes the bread soggy. Check for anything hard if you are unsure. Remove the heads if they are still attached.
- Cut the rye bread into small even pieces. About five centimetres square is right. Cut a large loaf slice into halves or quarters. They should be manageable in the hand. Slice the bread reasonably thinly. Thick bread overwhelms the topping entirely. Toast the bread lightly if you prefer. Butter each piece of bread generously.
- Use genuinely soft butter for spreading. Cold butter tears the surface of the bread. Spread it right to every edge. A thin scrape does not do that job. Lay egg slices over the buttered bread. Cover most of the surface with egg. Overlap the slices slightly if needed. Lay a sprat fillet diagonally across each piece. Lay it diagonally rather than straight across.
- Press it down very gently to settle it. One sprat per sandwich is genuinely enough. Lay a thin slice of pickled cucumber alongside. Slice it genuinely thinly for that. Some households do this and some do not.
- Use it sparingly rather than generously. Scatter chopped dill over each sandwich. Grind black pepper over the finished sandwiches. Do not add any salt to them at all. Squeeze a little lemon over them before serving. Add it just before they go to the table.
- Arrange them on a platter and serve at once. They are best within an hour of assembly. Assemble them close to when they are eaten. The salt and oil suit a cold drink well.
Technique
- Baltic sprats carry dioxins and PCBs, and Baltic states publish consumption advice limiting how often certain groups — children and people who may become pregnant among them — should eat them. The figures are revised periodically, so the atlas does not quote a number that may be outdated; check current national guidance if it matters to you. This is a documented advisory about frequency rather than avoidance, and Baltic sprats remain a normal food in the region.
- Butter is not optional here: it forms a barrier between the bread and the oily fish, stopping it going soggy, so spread it generously right to every edge. Drain the sprats well for the same reason, and add any lemon only just before serving.
- These carry fish, egg and rye gluten. All three can matter on a mixed buffet table where the topping is easy to overlook, so say clearly what is on them.
Substitutions
- Grating the hard boiled egg instead of slicing it gives a softer covering that holds the sprat in place well; both are genuinely done in Estonia. Chives replace dill.
- Lightly toasting the rye holds up better under the oil and adds crispness, though untoasted is more traditional; both are done. A thin slice of pickled cucumber alongside, or a small dab of soured cream, are common rather than universal.
Variations
- Kilu are Baltic sprats salted and spiced with allspice, clove, pepper and bay rather than smoked — that spice cure is what makes them kilu, and plain salted sprats are a different product. Tinned sprat bones are softened by the canning and eaten without difficulty.
- One fillet per piece is genuinely enough, since they are strongly flavoured and quite salty and two makes the whole thing overwhelming. Add no salt at all — the fish carries more than enough — but grind black pepper over.
- Use dense dark Estonian rye, which stands up to the oily fish where soft white bread collapses, sliced about a centimetre thick and cut into five-centimetre pieces. Assemble them within the hour of serving, since the bread absorbs oil and softens; prepare the components ahead and assemble late.
History
Baltic sprats spiced and canned since the nineteenth century; laid on black bread with egg they are a standard party snack.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sprat sandwich?
Sprat sandwich is a snack from Estonia: spiced Baltic sprat fillets on dark rye with egg. Baltic sprats spiced and canned since the nineteenth century; laid on black bread with egg they are a standard party snack.
How long does Sprat sandwich take to make?
Sprat sandwich takes 20 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes makes 12. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Sprat sandwich?
Yes, within limits. Grating the hard boiled egg instead of slicing it gives a softer covering that holds the sprat in place well; both are genuinely done in Estonia. Chives replace dill. Lightly toasting the rye holds up better under the oil and adds crispness, though untoasted is more traditional; both are done. A thin slice of pickled cucumber alongside, or a small dab of soured cream, are common rather than universal.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sprat sandwich?
Butter goes on the bread before anything else. Baltic states publish consumption advice about that. Check the current national guidance if it matters to you. It is worth knowing rather than worrying about. Boil the eggs until the yolks are firm. Give them about nine minutes in boiling water.
