Stjerneskud (Shooting Star)
The sandwich, nicknamed the “shooting star” was invented by Ida Davidsen – a famous Danish chef who owns a Smørrebrøds restaurant in the heart of Copenhagen. In 1962, she was inspired to make name this simple fish sandwich the Shooting Star after astonaut Yuri Gagarin visited Copenhagen. Since then it has remained very popular among Danes.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup crème fraiche or full fat sour cream
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- dash of cayenne pepper
- sea salt to taste
- pepper freshly ground, to taste
For the fish:
- 8 plaice fillets flounder works great as well
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 egg beaten
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- sea salt to taste
- pepper freshly ground, to taste
For serving:
- 4 slices Danish rye bread
- 8 spears green asparagus trimmed
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil for cooking the sparaagus
- 1/2 tbsp butter + more for buttering the bread
- 4 ounces small shrimp boiled and peeled
- 3 ounces bleak roe Kalix löjrom (or salmon, trout or lumpfish roe)
- 1 lemon cut into slices or wedges
- fresh dill chopped
- 12 slices cucumber thinly sliced
- 4 lettuce leaves
Instructions
For the dressing:
- Whisk together the crème fraîche, mayonnaise, and tomato puree. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
- Using a whisk mix together the mayonnaise, crème fraîche and tomato puree until well-combined. Add the lemon juice, sweet paprika and cayenne pepper and adjust with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Mix thoroughly and set aside.
For the steamed fish fillets:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 180° C.
- Rinse all of the fish fillets and pat them dry using kitchen paper. Take 4 of them and season them well with salt and pepper on both sides. Roll them up and pin them in place with a toothpick, then place them in an oven dish.
- Pour the white wine and water all over the fillets and place in the oven to steam for about 10-15 minutes until cooked.
For the fried fish fillets:
- Now it's time to cook the rest of the fish. Add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to a flat plate and use your fingers to mix them together well.
- Have a shallow bowl with the beaten egg ready beside you.
- Season the fish filets with salt and pepper, then dip them in the beaten egg and finally press them into the breadcrumbs, making sure they coat the fillets entirely. Place them on a separate plate.
- Melt half the amount of butter with half the amount of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the fish fillets, 2 at a time, for about 3 minutes on each side until they turn golden-brown and the breadcrumb coating becomes nice and crisp.
- You will know the fillets are done when the thickest part of the fillet becomes flaky and comes apart easily.
- Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Remove the leftover grease and any burnt bits from the pan, add the remainder of the butter and oil and fry the remaining 2 fish fillets.
For the green asparagus:
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the asparagus spears into the pan and toss lightly to distribute them evenly. Place a lid over the pan and let the asparagus cook for 3 minutes or until it turns bright green.
- Turn the flame up to medium high, season with salt and pepper and leave to cook uncovered for another 3 minutes, until browned and tender. Use a pair of tongs to move the spears from the center of pan to edge to cook them all evenly. Take off the heat and set aside.
For serving:
- Butter all the bread slices, then add lettuce, one piece each of the fried and poached fish fillets, then 2 spears of asparagus, dressing, shrimp, cucumber, fish roe, salt, pepper and some fresh dill on top.
- Enjoy your delicious Shooting Star sandwich!
Notes
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