Open Sandwiches with Sprats and Fresh Cucumber

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make open sandwiches with sprats and fresh cucumber? Gather your ingredients. Any bread will do — white or dark — but I always make these with dark hearth-baked bread. Use your favorite; it'll be tasty either way. Buy good-quality, large sprats from a brand you trust.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cut the fresh hearth-baked loaf into thin slices. You can make the sandwiches on bread that's been toasted or pan-fried in vegetable oil — the sandwiches taste a little different each way. I make them without prepping the bread at all. Spread the slices with a thin layer of mayonnaise.

3. Step 3:

   

   Boil the eggs ahead of time. Cool them, peel them, and chop them. It's better to do this with a knife so the pieces stay fairly large — that makes a more striking appetizer than a smooth boiled-egg paste. Sprinkle the chopped egg over the bread.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash the fresh cucumbers and cut them into thin rounds or slices, whichever you prefer. Wash the dill and green onion, pat them dry, and chop them finely. The green onion looks nicer cut on the diagonal.

5. Step 5:

   

   Sprinkle the sandwiches with the chopped green onion and dill.

6. Step 6:

   

   Lay sprats on each slice — one per slice if they're large, or a few small fish per sandwich. Tuck the cucumber slices under the sprats. Serve the sandwiches right away. Don't leave them sitting long before serving, or the herbs and cucumber will wilt, dry out, and fade, and the appetizer will lose its presentable look. Enjoy!