Danish Coastal Shrimp and Dill Rice (Rejer med Dild)

About This Recipe

There's no historic Danish seafood rice, but Denmark's coastline has a real and deep relationship with small, sweet cold-water shrimp (rejer), most famously piled onto rye bread with mayonnaise, lemon and dill for one of the country's most beloved smørrebrød toppings. This recipe takes those same defining flavors — shrimp, dill, lemon and a rich butter — and builds them into a rice dish instead of a sandwich topping, staying honest about the fact that the format is an adaptation rather than tradition. The shrimp are barely cooked, warmed through in browned butter just until they turn pink, since Danish cold-water shrimp are naturally sweet and easily overcooked into rubberiness. A generous amount of fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon are stirred through at the very end, echoing the same bright, herbal freshness that makes a reje smørrebrød so appealing, and a spoonful of crème fraîche folded through the rice at the end gives it a lightly creamy finish reminiscent of the mayonnaise traditionally used.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupslong-grain rice
• 3 cupswater(or fish stock)
• 500 gcooked cold-water shrimp(peeled)
• 4 tbspunsalted butter
• 1shallot(finely diced)
• 1lemon(zested and juiced)
• 0.5 cupfresh dill(chopped)
• 3 tbspcrème fraîche
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 tspwhite pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the rice

   Simmer the rice in water or fish stock with a pinch of salt, covered, 15-18 minutes until tender. Let it rest covered for 5 minutes off the heat.

2. 2

   Brown the butter

   Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, 3-4 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn.

3. 3

   Cook the shallot

   Add the shallot to the browned butter and cook 2 minutes until softened.

4. 4

   Warm the shrimp

   Add the cooked shrimp and warm through gently for 1-2 minutes, just until heated — they're already cooked, so avoid extended heat.

5. 5

   Combine with rice

   Fold the shrimp and butter mixture through the warm rice along with the lemon zest and juice.

6. 6

   Finish with dill and cream

   Stir in the crème fraîche, dill, salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve immediately while warm.

Variations

• •

  True smørrebrød style: skip the rice and pile the buttered shrimp, dill and lemon onto slices of buttered rye bread instead.

• •

  Herb swap: add chives alongside the dill for extra freshness.

• •

  Egg addition: top each bowl with a wedge of hard-boiled egg, a classic pairing with Danish shrimp dishes.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep refrigerated up to 1 day; reheat gently over low heat since the shrimp toughen with extended reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions