If you’ve ever been to Sweden or have family members from Scandinavia or have ever met someone who is, then you’ve probably heard of the traditional open-faced shrimp sandwich.

Picture this: you’re lying on the grass under the dappled shade of a maple tree. There’s a breeze that blows the scent of the summer-heated air across your face as you bite into the creamy sweetness of a shrimp sandwich. There’s that little pop as your teeth break the skin, followed by a zing of the dill and then a nutty finish as you taste the tender yolk of the hardboiled egg. Heaven, right?

When I was in Denmark in 2016, a shrimp sandwich was actual hell. I was hard pressed to find a restaurant that didn’t want to serve me shrimp sandwiches as an appetizer, and my host made them as a quick lunch on the regular. They were at the parties I went to and the gourmet dinner I attended. I got so tired of the tiny pink crustaceans that I couldn’t stand the sight of them. Combined with my queasy jet-lagged stomach and one more shrimp might have been the end of me.

I took a good month-long hiatus from shrimp, but these days I find that they are still one of my favorite foods on a hot summer day. Shrimp is the perfect kind of sweet and refreshing that lends itself to picnics and parties in the heat of the summer. An open-faced sandwich is particularly perfect when you want something light.

The best part is these that sandwiches take mere moments to assemble. There are as many shrimp sandwich recipes out there as there are shrimps in the sea, but this is what I’ve found to be the perfect classic. Master this and you can build off of it in the future.

Make sure to pick a thin-sliced bread and toast it slightly if it’s too fresh. I like the balance of a crisp bread to the soft salad topping.

Shrimp Sandwich Ingredients:

• 4 hardboiled eggs
• 4 cups small shrimp (peeled)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped dill
• Butter
• 4 slices of rye or sourdough bread

Combine the shrimp, mayo, and lemon juice in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop a heaping pile of the mixture onto a slice of buttered bread.

Slice hardboiled eggs and place on top. Finish with a sprinkle of dill.