Swedish prawn toast with dill, crème fraîche and lemon served on golden fried bread — a classic Swedish starter.
Toast Skagen is one of Sweden's most beloved and elegant dishes — a creamy mixture of Nordic shrimp (räkor), dill, crème fraîche, lemon and mayonnaise piled generously onto a slice of white bread that has been fried golden in butter. It was created by restaurateur Tore Wretman in the 1950s and named after the Danish fishing town of Skagen, famous for its seafood. It is a staple of Swedish Christmas tables and summer parties.
Serves 4
Pat prawns dry. Mix crème fraîche, mayonnaise, dill, lemon juice and white pepper. Fold in prawns gently. Taste and season with salt.
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry bread slices until deep golden on both sides.
Spoon prawn mixture generously onto each piece of fried bread, mounding it high.
Top with a small spoonful of bleak roe (löjrom) if using. Add a lemon slice.
Serve as soon as assembled so the bread remains crisp.
Dry the prawns very thoroughly — excess moisture makes the mix watery.
The bread should be fried in butter, not toasted — the golden buttery crust is part of the dish.
Löjrom (bleak roe) elevates the dish enormously — worth finding for special occasions.
Add a thin slice of smoked salmon under the prawn mixture.
Use sourdough instead of white bread for more flavour.
Prawn mix keeps refrigerated for 1 day without lemon (add lemon just before serving). Fry bread fresh.
Toast Skagen was created by Swedish restaurateur Tore Wretman at Operakällaren restaurant in Stockholm in the 1950s. It became an iconic dish of Swedish smörgåsbord culture and remains a staple of Swedish celebrations.
Small, sweet, cold-water shrimp (räkor in Swedish) that are typical of Scandinavian cooking. Regular cooked prawns are a fine substitute.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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