A legendary shrimp toast that highlights the archipelago lifestyle!
When you think of Toast Skagen, you think of the archipelago. In fact, this simple toast was invented in the middle of a sailing race after World War II in 1956 on a beautiful mahogany sailboat.
The legendary toast Skagen is a simple shrimp toast with elegant flavors that holds a special place in the culinary heart of most Swedes. Eaten all over Scandinavia, toast Skagen is served as an appetizer and is wildly popular throughout the year. This simple dish is also a staple in Finnish cuisine and found in most cafes and restaurant.
This brilliant toast came about by the famous Swedish restaurateur Tore Wretman, who was a skipper on the boat during the regatta and the toast was named after a fishing port in the northernmost tip of Denmark called Skagen.
Story of the legendary toast
Skagen is a quintessential little town is known for its geographical location in between two great seas where boating is very popular. In 1956 the town hosted a regatta with participants from neighboring countries. One of the participants was the mahogany boat called Salta Marina, where Tore was onboard. It looked like victory was on the horizon for Salta Marina as they had chosen a route different to other sailboats and the crew was already planning their victory at the banquet that evening. However, plans took a turn for the worse when the wind suddenly died and quickly the crew saw the chance of winning dwindling away. As other sailboats glided by in the distance, the mood of the crew dropped as they realized they might not even make it to the party that evening. At this point, Tore, the famous chef of Stockholm’s downtown restaurant decides to cheer his men by cooking for them.
In the kitchen of the boat, he only found a few ingredients; shrimps, vendace roe, butter, toast, eggs, dill and oil. He did not have much to work with, but with these basics, he created something legendary. He whisked together a mayonnaise, and fried the bread in a bit of butter. The shrimps are peeled and chopped along with the dill and a scoop is served on the crispy toast topped with a dollop of vendace roe. 
As the crew tasted this, it put a smile on the faces of the crew members and one of the deckhands ask Tore for the name of the dish as he had never tasted anything similar before. Tore looked into the horizon and saw the tip of Skagen that they were finally sailing towards and said “My dear friend, don’t you know that this is the legendary Toast Skagen?” In a few weeks’ time, Toast Skagen was introduced at Tore´s restaurant Riche downtown Stockholm and the rest is history.
Toast Skagen recipe from Sweden
This recipe serves four.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greenland shrimps, peeled
- 2-3 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
- 3 tbsp finely chopped dill
- pinch of Salt & pepper
- squeeze of Lemon
- about 4 tablespoons of vendace roe (or another caviar/roe)
- 4 Slices of toast bread
- 1 Tablespoon of organic butter
Directions
- Peel the shrimps and chop them coarsely. Mix dill, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the shrimps and season with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Using a mold, cut each toast into a round slice. Fry each toast in butter until the surface becomes slightly golden brown.
- Serve the Toast Skagen in the middle of the plate. First the toast, then the Skagen mix and top with the vendace roe. Garnish with dill and optionally, a slice of lemon
The beauty of this simple shrimp toast is the crown jewel on top, the vendace roe or “muikun mäti” in Finnish and “Löjrom” in Swedish. It is the finest roe of them all and is the Nordic version of Russian caviar. It is fine in texture, orange and much more subtle and light in flavor. It is often served with blinis with sour cream, finely chopped red onion and dill, especially during the holidays.
A classic toast Skagen is a balance of fresh Scandinavian ingredients that highlight a coastal archipelago lifestyle. It is summer on a plate and speaks to the heart of Nordic people.
Have you ever had Swedish toast Skagen?
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