Brauðterta

Bread pie

What the Swedes have their “smörgåstårta” is what the Icelanders have their “brauðterta”. In Iceland, a hearty bread cake is traditionally found among sweet pastries on buffet tables, from family celebrations to Christmas invitations.

It is a savory cake with lots of filling and garnishes, similar to a layered cream cake. The bread cake consists of several layers of bread (usually toast) with rich, creamy fillings in between. The basis of the creams is usually mayonnaise and eggs, and you can basically vary them indefinitely according to your mood, taste and preferences. Traditionally, fresh or smoked salmon and crabs, ham, lamb, etc. are often used, but vegan fillings are of course also possible. The only important thing is that the different layers harmonize with each other in terms of taste and that nothing tastes too bad.

The bread cake is lavishly decorated and served well chilled; the "cake" is cut like a dessert cake.

In Iceland, you buy the bread for the Brauðterta frozen from the supermarket, then let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then prepare the cake the next day. Of course, you can also bake the toast yourself - or buy ready-made toast bread, cut off the edge and then shape the slices.

For the recipe here, I chose three different fillings - one ham, one smoked lamb and one hard-boiled eggs. But this can really be varied as desired!

Ingredients

1 toast base
250 g mayonnaise
200 g sour cream
1 tsp mustard
1 pinch of pepper

1 pinch of coarse sea salt

Filling 1

125 g cooked ham

1/2 bunch of spring onions

1 Tbsp ketchup

Filling 2

125 g hangikjöt (smoked lamb)

1 small can of mixed vegetables

Filling 3

4 hard-boiled eggs

1/2 bunch of spring onions

1/2 tsp dried oregano / basil or similar

decoration

Egg slices

Cocktail tomatoes

lots of fresh parsley

Preparation

The day before, put the frozen bread in the fridge and let it thaw slowly overnight.

The next day prepare the cake:

Cut the edges off the bread and trim the bread as needed and have it ready.

Then mix the mayonnaise with the sour cream in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and mustard.

Then put about 3 - 4 tablespoons of it in the fridge for decoration.

Now prepare the various fillings and layer the bread cake with them:

Cut the ham into thin strips, wash, clean and chop the spring onions for this layer and mix with 1/3 of the cream and a spoonful of ketchup.

Then spread the ham salad on the first layer of bread.

For the hangikjöt layer, cut the meat into thin strips, mix with the drained vegetables and a third of the cream and layer on the second layer of bread.

Slice the hard-boiled eggs using an egg slicer. Set aside 3 to 4 medium-sized slices of each egg for later decoration and chop the remaining egg slices into small pieces.

Wash and clean the spring onions and chop them finely.

Then mix the eggs with the onions, herbs and half of the cream.

Then layer the egg salad on the bread cake and top with the last layer of bread.

Then spread the outside of the cake with the reserved cream...

...lay the eggs on top and arrange half the tomatoes all around.

Then chop the parsley a little and distribute it between the eggs and around the tomatoes.

Then store the bread cake in the refrigerator, let it sit for at least 4 hours and then serve the Brauðterta well chilled.

[Translated from here.]