Christmas season at Nielsen started with a bang when we got our second guest chef, Marentza Poulsen, for a visit on the 22nd and 23rd of November. Marentza is a renowned smørrebrød (traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches) chef in Iceland, originally from the Faroese Islands but has been living and cooking great food in Iceland for many years. Marentza put together a Danish Christmas menu including the classic smørrebrød, pickled herring, Christmas beers and delicious desserts. The weekend was close to fully booked and all our guest left with a full stomach and their heart filled with the Christmas spirit. Marentza taught our chefs the craft of smørrebrød and so we kept the Christmas menu all the way to Christmas. We were so happy with the outcome that we promise to repeat this next Christmas.

We send a big thank you to Marentza!

The story of the smørrebrød

Originally the smørrebrød comes from Scandinavia but the Danish version is best known. Smørrebrød, if directly translated, means butter and bread. In Denmark the locals have smørrebrød both as their normal day to day eat as well as on special occasions and holidays. The story of the smørrebrød dates back centuries and was originally the hungry workers lunch, a slice of bread that was topped with the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner. The smørrebrød has evolved through time and is now considered a delicacy where top quality produce is of essence. Although high quality produce is important the presentation is not a lesser part of the whole smørrebrød experience. According to smørrebrød experts the slice of bread should be generously topped so that you’re almost not able to see the bread. The toppings should be nicely arranged so that the smørrebrød is not only tasty but also very aesthetically pleasing. It is also highly recommended to pair smørrebrød with a cold beer, Akvavit and/or schnapps.

Herring

Pickled herring is never far away from the Danish smørrebrød meal. The herring is served with rye bread, butter, eggs and onion.

Herring (choose one type)  – 1490 kr.

Herring (all three types) – 3200 kr.

Orange herring, Gammel-dansk herring and/or fried herring.

Danish-Icelandic Christmas tasting platter (for 2).

Cured goose, Mr.Nielsens pork terrine, reindeer tartare, smoked salmon, cured salmon, Mrs.Poulsen’s liver paté, horse radish salad, lingonberry-jam, pickled mustard seeds.

4200

Smørrebrød:

All smørrebrød is offered in halve size and full size, we recommend 2-3 (full size) per person to feel full. The smørrebrød is prepared on a slice of Danish style rye bread, unless listed otherwise.

Shrimp
-eggs, lemon, parsley (white bread)

Smoked salmon
-scrambled eggs, roe (caviar), dill mayonnaise

Smoked potatoes
-chicken salad, bacon, parsley

Reindeer tartare
-egg yolk, red onion, wasabi leaf

Roast beef
-egg, fried onions, remoulade, pickles

Ms. Poulsen’s liver pâté
-mushrooms, bacon, pickles

The head chefs take on fried plaice
-noisette, remoulade, parsley, rhubarb

Goat cheese
-bacon, pine nuts, whey caramel (white bread)

Crispy pork belly
-red cabbage, pickles, parsley

Smoked duck breast
-horseradish salad, apples, herbs

Desserts

Danish æbleskiver, chocolate salted caramel

Ris á l‘amande, caramel sauce, cherries