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Toast Pelle Janzon – Swedish beef and caviar toast with löjrom, raw egg yolk, red onion, chives, and a lemon wedge, served with a cold beer

Toast Pelle Janzon

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Course: Appetizer, Lunch
Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz (340 g) Beef Tenderloin (center cut). Must be high-quality and fresh.
  • 4 slices white sandwich bread or brioche.
  • 3–4 tbsp salted butter
  • 3–4 oz (85–100 g) Vendace Roe (Löjrom), or high-quality whitefish roe.
  • 4 fresh egg yolks (pasteurized if you prefer).
  • 1 small red onion, extremely finely minced.
  • freshly grated horseradish
  • finely chopped chives, for garnish.
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Optional: Crème fraîche

Method
 

Prep the garnishes
  1. Start by getting all the little components ready. Finely mince the red onion and chop the chives, and set them aside.
  2. If using fresh horseradish, grate a teaspoon or two and set aside (cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out).
  3. Separate your egg yolks from the whites. It helps to do this one at a time: crack each egg and catch the yolk in your clean hand or an egg separator, letting the white fall away. Gently place each yolk in a small ramekin or cup – this makes it easier to transfer onto the toast later. Keep the yolks cold until assembly.
    Knolling-style flat lay of Toast Pelle Janzon garnishes: egg yolks, grated horseradish, minced red onion, and chopped chives
Butter-fry the bread
  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a generous pat of butter (about 1–2 tablespoons for starters).
  2. While it melts, trim the crusts off your bread slices. You can leave the slices whole (about 3-inch squares) or cut them into 3-inch diameter circles for a classic look. (Don't throw the extra bread away – you can use that to make homemade croutons for a salad or breadcrumbs for meatballs).
    Four round white bread circles cut to 3-inch diameter for Toast Pelle Janzon, laid out on a wooden surface
  3. Once the butter is foamy, lay the bread slices in the pan. Fry for about 2 minutes per side, or until the bread turns golden brown and crispy. Add more butter as needed – the bread should absorb some and sizzle; you want that gorgeous golden color.
    Four round bread circles frying in foaming butter in a cast iron skillet on a gas stove for Toast Pelle Janzon
  4. When done, transfer the fried toast to a wire rack so they stay crisp.
    Four golden butter-fried round toasts resting on a wire cooling rack to stay crisp for Toast Pelle Janzon
Prepare the beef
  1. This is the only part that requires a bit of technique, but it’s straightforward. If you haven’t already, place your beef tenderloin in the freezer for about 20–30 minutes – this firms it up slightly, making it easier to slice thinly.
  2. Using your sharpest knife, slice the beef against the grain into very thin slices. Aim for slices about 1/8-inch thick or even thinner if you can.
  3. Lay a slice or two between pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy saucepan) to flatten it further, about 1–2 mm thin. The beef will almost take on a carpaccio-like texture – delicate and nearly translucent.
    Beef tenderloin pounded paper-thin under plastic wrap on a cutting board next to a meat mallet, for Toast Pelle Janzon
  4. Work in small batches and be gentle so you don’t tear the meat. If the slices are large, you can cut them into smaller pieces that will fit nicely on the toast. Keep the prepared beef slices on a cold plate or on the plastic wrap until you’re ready to assemble.
Assemble the toasts
  1. Now for the fun part! Take a piece of the butter-fried toast and lay it on a serving plate. Cover the entire top of the toast with your thin slices of beef. You can overlap the slices slightly like shingles, or lay a single piece if it’s big enough – there’s no bread visible when you’re done, it should be completely blanketed in beef.
    Paper-thin pounded beef tenderloin draped over a round butter-fried toast on a white plate for Toast Pelle Janzon assembly
  2. Lightly sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt and a crank of black pepper over the beef.
  3. Next, add the löjrom (fish roe). Spoon a generous dollop of roe right on the center of the beef. For a small round toast, about a heaping tablespoon (20–30 g) of roe is great – you want a nice pile. Using the back of your spoon, make a small well or indent in the mound of roe. This little nest will hold the egg yolk.
    Raw egg yolk placed on top of löjrom and paper-thin beef tenderloin on toast for Toast Pelle Janzon assembly
  4. Now carefully slide one raw egg yolk into the well of the roe on the toast. (If you kept the yolk in a ramekin, you can tip it out gently; or use half an eggshell to cradle it and place it.) The roe should cuddle around the yolk, keeping it in place like a cushion.
    Raw egg yolk placed on top of löjrom and paper-thin beef tenderloin on toast for Toast Pelle Janzon assembly
Garnish and finish
  1. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of the finely chopped red onion all over the top of the toast, distributing it around the yolk and roe.
  2. Do the same with a pinch of chopped chives.
    Toast Pelle Janzon assembly with minced red onion and chopped chives circling löjrom and a raw egg yolk, with a lemon wedge on the side
  3. If you’re adding horseradish, now’s the moment – sprinkle a tiny pinch of freshly grated horseradish on top of the beef (a little around the yolk, perhaps).
  4. Finally, if you like, add a small dollop of crème fraîche either on top of the toast (off to the side) or on the plate next to it. Tuck a lemon wedge on the plate for squeezing.
  5. Repeat this assembly for each toast. You’ll end up with a gorgeous little open sandwich: it looks like an artwork, with the bright yolk and orange roe on crimson beef over a golden toast.
Serve immediately
  1. Toast Pelle Janzon waits for no one! This dish is at its absolute best the moment it’s assembled. The toast is still crunchy, the beef is cool, and the yolk is beautifully intact. As it sits, the salt will start drawing moisture from the beef and roe, and the toast can get soggy, so don’t delay.
  2. Serve each person their toast and encourage them to break the egg yolk and maybe give everything a gentle mix/press with a fork to get the flavors mingling. When you cut through it, try to get a bit of toast, beef, roe, yolk, and onion in each bite – the harmony of all those elements is what it’s all about.
  3. Enjoy! Or as we say in Swedish, Smaklig måltid! (Bon appétit!)

Notes

Ingredient safety: Since this recipe uses raw beef and raw egg yolk, ensure you use very fresh, high-quality ingredients. It’s wise to buy beef from a trusted butcher and mention you’ll be eating it raw (so they give you the best piece). Use pasteurized eggs if possible for extra safety. Keep everything cold until assembly, and consume the dish promptly.
Scaling & portions: This recipe is for 4 appetizer-sized servings (one toast per person). If you want to serve it as a main course, you can make larger portions or plan on 2 toasts per person, but note it’s a rich dish. You can easily halve or multiply the recipe as needed.
Preparation tips: You can prepare the components in advance (chop onions/chives, fry bread, slice beef) but keep them separate and assemble at the last minute. Fried bread can sit at room temp for an hour or two and remain crisp. If prepping beef ahead, store the slices layered between plastic wraps in the fridge, and remove a few minutes before serving so they aren’t ice-cold. Always assemble just before serving for best results.