Feasting on Art: smoked trout sm?rrebr?d and Gustave Courbet

Inspired by 'The Trout' by French Realist Gustave Courbet, these Danish open-faced sandwiches would make a great appetizer for a party, or even a light lunch.

By Megan Fizell,?Feasting on Art / March 21, 2013

Gustave Courbet, 'The Trout,' 1873, oil on canvas, Mus?e d?Orsay, Paris

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Sm?rrebr?d is the Danish tradition of open-face sandwiches. A dark dense bread, usually a type of rye, is toasted and topped with smoked or pickled fish and other vegetables. In this version, the smoked trout is the star and so it is essential to purchase high-quality fish.

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Feasting On Art

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Megan Fizell is a Sydney-based art historian and freelance writer concerned with the representation of food in the visual arts. She is the voice of the food & art blog, Feasting on Art, an innovative translation of painting to plate - recipes inspired by art.

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I picked up a whole fish and carefully de-boned all of the flesh before assembling the sm?rrebr?d. If you have any extra pickled red onions, store them in their pickling liquid in the refrigerator and consume within a week. They are great toppings for hamburgers and can be used to liven up a grilled cheese sandwich.

"The Trout"?was painted during a period of time Gustave Courbet spent in the Franche-Comt? region. The painting is one of several created after he served time in prison due to his participation in the 1871 Commune. Like Manet?s earlier painting?Fish (Still Life), Courbet?s trout is dramatically depicted mid-flop.

"The Trout"?appears to be freshly caught, gasping for breath on a riverbank and the canvas is worked with heavy and rough brushstrokes. The application of paint paired with the helplessness of the subject could suggest the frustration the Artist was experiencing at the time with the judiciary system.

Smoked trout sm?rrebr?d

Adapted from?Bon Appetit
Yield: 12 servings

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted and quartered

1 teaspoon lemon zest

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup cr?me fra?che

250 grams [about 1/2 lb.] smoked trout

Dill

In a small bowl, combine the red onion with the vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes

In?another bowl, combine the lemon zest, black pepper, and cr?me fra?che. Spoon the mixture on the toasted pumpernickel bread. Add a few grams of fish and top with pickled onions.

Garnish?with a bit of dill and serve.

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