This is week 2 of my Summer of Sweden series and I have selected one of my favorite Swedish appetizers for this week - Toast Skagen. I discovered this dish on a previous trip to Sweden when we spent several beautiful summer afternoons enjoying Toast Skagen with a glass of white wine in beautiful and picturesque Soderköping on the East coast of Sweden. On this trip to Sweden, I am on a quest to discover the best Toast Skagen in Östergötland (East Gothland) a region in Southern Sweden. Toast Skagen is named after Denmark's northernmost town and a well known fishing port. I have never been to Skagen but I hear interestingly enough that the locals do not know the dish.
Toast Skagen
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
Shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon onions, diced
0.5lb/8oz/227g baby shrimp
½ lemon, juiced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Dill sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup plain yogurt
2 green onions or scallions, diced
2 tablespoons of dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices fresh bread drizzles with olive oil or knäckebröd (crisp bread)
1.7oz/50g red roe or caviar
Optional ingredients (garnish)
4 lemon wedges or slices
Fresh dill
Method
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the garlic and onions for 2 minutes
Add the baby shrimp, lemon, black pepper, bay leaf and salt, then cook for 3 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool
Combine all the ingredients for the dill sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly
If using fresh bread, toast the bread at 400°F/200°C for 5 minutes; If using the crisp bread, use as is
Top the bread with shrimp, then sauce, then red roe or caviar
Garnish with lemon wedges or slices and fresh dill
