Small Plates and Dips · Card SP11
Anchovy Rye Toasts with Red Onion and Olives
Dense, dark rye cut into triangles, toasted, buttered and laid with silvery anchovy fillets, crisp red onion rings and peppery arugula. Briny green olives on the side round out the plate. It is the salty, sharp kind of small bite that belongs next to a cold beer or a glass of aquavit before dinner.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Scandinavian
Method
Step 1: Drop the onion rings into a bowl of ice water with a squeeze of lemon juice and let them sit for 10 minutes. This rinses away the harsh bite and makes the rings snap.
Step 2: Mash the butter with the lemon zest and a few grinds of black pepper.
Step 3: Toast the rye slices in a toaster or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the surface is firm and crisp but not hard. Let them cool for a minute, then cut each slice corner to corner into two triangles.
Step 4: Spread the lemon butter over the toasts right to the edges, which seals the surface so the anchovy oil does not sink in.
Step 5: Top each triangle with a few arugula leaves, two anchovy fillets and a tangle of drained, patted-dry onion rings. Arrange on a plate with the green olives alongside and serve.
Kitchen note
Letting the toast cool briefly before buttering keeps the butter in a soft layer on top instead of melting into the crumb, so every bite gets that cool, rich contrast with the salty fish.
Easy swap
Use pickled herring fillets, cut into strips, instead of anchovies for a milder, sweeter topping.
Filed nearby
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