Danish Shrimp Open Sandwich (Rejemad)
Rejemad Say it: RYE-uh-mahl
Rejemad is Denmark's most beloved open sandwich: a generous mound of small, sweet cold-water prawns piled on buttered white bread or light rye, finished with a dollop of mild mayonnaise, fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon. It is a fixture of the smørrebrød table at lunch, sold in every harbour-town deli and made at home for guests. The taste is clean and fresh — sweet shellfish, tart lemon, soft buttered crumb — and the pleasure lies in how carefully such a simple thing is built.
Danish Shrimp Open Sandwich (Rejemad)
Rejemad
Pronounced RYE-uh-mahl
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, shellfish, mustard. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Sandwich base
Topping
Optional but classic
Method
If using the eggs, boil them for 8 minutes, cool in cold water, peel and slice. If using asparagus, simmer the spears in salted water for 3 minutes until just tender, then drain and cool.
Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with kitchen paper — wet shrimp make the bread soggy and dilute the dressing.
Stir the mayonnaise with the crème fraîche, a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a little white pepper until loose enough to dollop.
Butter each slice of bread generously right to the crusts, spreading it in a firm, even layer.
Press the lettuce leaves flat over the butter so the bread is fully covered; this forms a barrier that keeps the toast crisp.
Pile the shrimp high and loosely on top of the lettuce — aim for a domed mound rather than a flat layer.
Spoon or pipe the mayonnaise mixture over the shrimp in small dollops, letting some of the pink shrimp stay visible.
Finish with chopped dill, a lemon wedge per sandwich, cracked white pepper and, if you like, the sliced egg and asparagus laid alongside.
Serve immediately, while the bread still has a little resistance under the fork.
Regional variants
Many Danish kitchens add sliced hard-boiled egg and blanched asparagus to the top, or use dark rye bread for a denser, sourer base. Some spread the bread with a thin layer of butter and nothing else, arguing that mayonnaise alone is enough dressing.
Cook's notes
- Small cold-water shrimp from the North Atlantic are sweeter and firmer than large warm-water prawns; if yours are large, chop half of them roughly so the topping holds together.
- Lightly toasting the bread and letting it cool before buttering gives extra crunch and stops the sandwich collapsing.
- Dress the shrimp only at the last moment — the lemon juice turns them soft if they sit too long.
Serve with
Cold lager, a small glass of snaps or chilled white wine; serve alongside other smørrebrød at lunch.
Make ahead and storage
Prepare the mayonnaise, boil the eggs and peel the shrimp up to a day ahead and refrigerate; assemble the sandwiches just before serving.
