Obložený Chlebíček (Czech Open-Face Sandwiches)

About This Recipe

Obložené chlebíčky are the Czech party food: small open-face sandwiches on a thin oval white bread (veka), topped with elaborate combinations of ham, salami, hard-boiled egg, pickles, potato salad, herring or pâté, and decorated with such precision that they're almost too pretty to eat. Found at every Czech celebration — birthdays, weddings, communist-era school events. Each chlebíček is a miniature still life.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1veka bread(or thin baguette, sliced 1 cm thick)
• 100 gsalted butter(softened)
• Potato salad base:
• 300 gboiled potatoes(diced)
• 100 gcarrots(boiled, diced)
• 60 gpeas(cooked)
• 60 gpickled cucumber(diced)
• 2hard-boiled eggs(chopped)
• 120 gmayonnaise
• 1 tspDijon mustard
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspground white pepper
• Toppings — pick 3:
• 100 gsmoked ham(thinly sliced)
• 100 gCzech salami(thinly sliced)
• 100 gEdam cheese(thinly sliced)
• 4hard-boiled eggs(sliced into rounds)
• 1 small jarpickles(sliced)
• 1 tinsardines or rollmops
• Garnishes:
• Fresh parsley sprigs, capers, lemon slices, pickled chillies, paprika dust

Instructions

1. 1

   Make potato salad

   Mix all potato salad ingredients gently. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate 30 min.

2. 2

   Butter bread

   Spread softened butter generously on each bread slice — it acts as a barrier preventing soggy bread.

3. 3

   Top with potato salad

   Spread a thick, smooth layer of potato salad on each piece of bread, doming slightly in the centre.

4. 4

   Add main topping

   Decorate with one or more of: a folded slice of ham, salami rolled into a rosette, a slice of cheese folded triangular, half a hard-boiled egg arranged decoratively, or a sardine fillet.

5. 5

   Garnish artfully

   This is the soul of chlebíček — add small precise garnishes: a tiny parsley sprig, a single caper, a pickled chilli, a tiny lemon twist. Each chlebíček should look composed and balanced.

6. 6

   Refrigerate

   Refrigerate at least 30 min before serving — flavours meld and they firm up.

7. 7

   Serve

   Arrange on a flat tray, varied designs together. Eat with hands or knife and fork.

Variations

• •

  Šunkofleky topping: thin ham + horseradish cream + parsley

• •

  Herring rollmop topping: rolled pickled herring + onion + dill

• •

  Beef topping: sliced rare roast beef + remoulade + capers

Storage

Refrigerate up to 1 day. Make ahead is encouraged — they improve.

Frequently Asked Questions