Czech Utopenci Pickled Sausage Sandwich

About This Recipe

Utopenci, literally 'drowned men,' are Czech pickled sausages, usually short, fat frankfurter-style sausages, submerged in a spiced vinegar brine with onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and left to marinate for days in a jar kept behind the bar at Czech pubs. They're a beloved cold snack served alongside beer, their tangy, slightly sweet brine cutting through the richness of the sausage. Turning utopenci into a sandwich is a natural extension of how they're already eaten — sliced and piled onto dark rye bread with a good smear of mustard and some of the pickled onion straight from the jar. The sausages themselves need real time in the brine, at least three days, for the vinegar and spices to properly penetrate; pulling them too early leaves the inside tasting like a plain sausage with only a lightly seasoned exterior. This is unmistakably pub food: sturdy, tangy, a little fatty, and built to pair with a cold pilsner. The rye bread should be dense enough to hold up to the wet pickled sausage without falling apart, and the whole sandwich benefits from being eaten immediately rather than assembled ahead of time.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8frankfurter-style sausages(pre-pickled utopenci, or homemade (see variations))
• 1 cuppickling liquid(from the jar of utopenci)
• 1onion(thinly sliced, from the jar or fresh)
• 8 slicesdark rye bread
• 3 tbspCzech or Dijon mustard
• 2 tbspbutter(softened)
• 2gherkins(sliced, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the sausages

   Remove the pickled sausages from their brine and slice each on the diagonal into thick coins.

2. 2

   Butter the bread

   Spread butter on one side of each slice of rye bread, then mustard on top of the butter.

3. 3

   Layer the sandwich

   Arrange sliced sausage generously over half the bread slices, top with pickled onion and gherkin slices.

   Let excess brine drip off the sausage slices before assembling so the bread doesn't turn soggy too quickly.

4. 4

   Close and serve

   Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side down, and serve immediately, ideally with a cold beer.

Variations

• •

  Make your own utopenci by simmering sausages, then submerging them in a brine of vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and sliced onion for at least 3 days.

• •

  Add a slice of hard cheese like Edam for a heartier, open-faced version.

• •

  Use spicy brown mustard instead of Czech mustard for a sharper kick.

Storage

Store the pickled sausages in their brine in the fridge for up to 3 weeks; assemble sandwiches fresh each time rather than storing them made up, since the bread softens quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions