icon Obložené Chlebíčky
(Czech finger food)

Czech Obložené Chlebíčky are small, two- or three-bite, open-face sandwiches, served at parties as tapas with wine. Thin slices of baguette are covered with various spreads (i.e. cream cheese, lobster paste or (Vlašský salát)), and topped with various piquant toppings (i.e. capers, slice of pickle, deviled eggs, brie, mozzarella, tomatoes, pepperoni, salmon, etc.).


The Paukert Deli today
While there are open-face sandwiches made throughout the world, these are a bit special because of the combination of ingredients, their wide variety of tastes, and their esthetic arrangement and presentation. Obložené Chlebíčky were invented near the beginning of the 20th century by Jan Paukert, and introduced at the Paukert Deli that opened in Prague in 1916. Outside of the Czech Republic, we have only seen something similar in a deli in Salzburg.

The original Chlebíček consisted of Prague Ham, eighth of a hard-boiled egg, a slice of good Emmental cheese, Hungarian salami, slice of tomato on a bed of piquant potato salad made with home-made mayonnaise, the recipe for which went with Jan Paukert into his grave. In pre-WWII Prague, the Paukert Deli became a favorite hangout of famouis actors and actresses from the nearby National Theather, such as Zdeněk Štěpánek, Hugo Haas, Emma Destinová, Vlasta Burian and Lída Baarová.


Czech veka, a relative of the Austrian Weckerl.
The basis of these sandwiches is the Czech veka, a type of white long and round bread generally similar to the New Orleans French bread. Generally, any type of white baguette would do as well, but it you want to be 100% authentic, this recipe for Czech veka was published by TV Nova in Prague:

 

 

Ingredients:
  • 1 kg (2.2 lbs) fine wheat flour
  • 20 g (3/4 oz) yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 500 ml (2 cups) water
  • YIELD: 4 loaves

Preparation:

  1. Place the flower in a bowl and make a little hole in the middle. Crubmle the yeast into the hole and pour a little lukewarm water over it. Let the mixture sit and wait for the yeast to activate.
  2. The temperature of the water is important for proper activation. If the water is too hot, the yeast (which is a living organism) will die. A temperature of 140 deg F (60 deg c) is usually sufficient to kill yeast cells. Cool water, on the other hand will decrease the growth of the yeast, but if the water is too cold, the yeast cells will become dormant (usually below 50 deg F, 10 deg c).
  3. Fold flower from the edges of the bowl over the yeast, add the sugar and more lukewarm water. Add the salt and make sough. Work the dough to get air into it.
  4. Work the dough in a ball, place back in the bowl, cover and allow to rise.
  5. Divide the dough into fourths, and make long loaves. Bake in a 175-180 deg c oven for 20 minutes.

There is an almost infinite number of possible combinations of toppings. Here are a few most common recipes that we have seen sold in Prague's delis:

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 fresh baguettes
  • For base layer: lobster paste, cream cheese, Czech potato salad (Vlašský salát)
  • For toppings: sweet-and-sour pickles, vine-ripened tomato, cooked ham, pepperoni, hardboiled egg (quartered), wedges of brie or camembert, slices of blue cheese or Roquefort, yellow or red pepper sliced into thin strips.
  • For garnish: fresh parsley, basil, capers, chives, peas, red paprika, thin sliced of lemon, thinly sliced red onion.

 

Preparation:
  1. Slice the baguette diagonally into oval slices that are 1/3-1/2 inch, and at least 1.5x1.5 inches across.
  2. Spread the base layer (butter, cream cheese, potato salad, lobster paste, etc.) thick onto the baguette slices.
  3. Arrange individual toppings tastefully on top.
  4. Serve on a large serving platter.

Ham and Pepperoni
  • Base: Vlašský salát
  • Pepperoni
  • Cooked ham
  • 2-3 pickle slices
  • Slice of tomato
  • Slice of egg
  • Parsley
  • Russian Egg
  • Base: Vlašský salát
  • Cooked ham
  • Slice of egg
  • 2-3 pickle slices
  • Slice of tomato
  • Mayonnaise dressing
    (recipe follows)
  • Parsley
  • The Lucullus
  • Base: Vlašský salát
  • Honey ham
  • Slice of egg
  • 5 peas or capers
  • Pickled red pepper
  •  

    Pepperoni
  • Base: Vlašský salát
  • Pepperoni
  • Pickled red pepper
  • Edam cheese
  • Brie
  • Base: Butter
  • 3 slices of brie
  • Slice of tomato
  • 2-3 slices of pickle
  • Red paprika powder
  • The Lux
  • Base: butter
  • Honey ham
  • Edam cheese
  • Pepperoni
  • Slice of tomato
  • Slice of pickle
  • Slices of egg
  • Parsley
  •  

    Anchovy Paste
  • Base: Anchovy spread
    (recipe follows)
  • Slice of tomato
  • 3-4 slices of red onion
  • Parsley
  • Lobster Mayonnaise
  • Base: lobster mayonnaise
    spread (recipe follows)
  • 1-2 slices of lemon
  • Parsley
  • Small piece of pickled red pepper, or red paprika powder
  • Shrimp Salad
  • Base: shrimp salad
  • Lettuce leaf
  • Shrimp salad
  • Slice or wedge of egg
  • Slice of lemon
  • Slice of red pepper,
    or red paprika powder
  • Parsley
  •  

    Caviar
  • Base: butter
  • Caviar
  • Wedge of tomato
  • Wedge of egg
  • 1-2 slices of pickle
  • Slice of lemon
  • Parsley
  • Smoked Salmon
  • Base: butter
  • Anchovy spread
    (recipe follows)
  • Smoked salmon
  • Slice of lemon
  • Wedge of egg
  • Parsley
  • Matjes (Pickled Herring)
  • Base: butter
  • Lettuce
  • Pickled herring
  • Onion slices
  • Parsley
  •  

    Feta Cheese
  • Base: butter
  • 2-3 slices of feta cheese
  • Fresh oregano
  • 1-2 black olives
  • Slice of cucumber
  • Slice of tomato
  • Tomato and Mozzarella
  • Base: butter
  • Slices of mozzarella
  • Slices of tomato
  • Fresh basil leaf
  • 1-2 olives
  • Edam Cheese
  • Base: Vlašský salát
  • Edam cheese
  • Slice of tomato
  • Slice of egg
  • Slice of cucumber
  • Parsley
  • Lobster Mayonnaise
    1 6.5-oz can of Maine lobster meat
    1 tbsp mayonnaise
    1/2 tbsp celery stalks, finely julienned
    1/2 tbsp lemon juice
    Dash of sugar
    Dash of salt
    1/4 tsp vinegar
  • Drain the lobster meat, clean and finely julienne
  • In a bowl, mix with julienned celery stalks, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar. Add salt to taste.
  •  

    Anchovy Spread
    1/2 lb cream cheese
    4 tbsp butter
    1 to 1 1/2 tbsp anchovy paste
    1/3 cup whipping cream
    Dash of salt
  • In a bowl, mix cream cheese with softened butter, anchovy a dash of salt.
  • In another bowl, whip the cream and gently fold into the cheese mixture.
  •  

    Shrimp Salad
    1/4 lb boiled shrimp, peeled, cleaned and de-veined
    2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
    2 tbsp cucumber, peeled and chopped
    4 tbsp mayonnaise
    2 tbsp whipping cream
    1/4 lb canned peas, drained
    2 tbsp parsley, chopped
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Salt
  • Cut the shrimp into small pieces.
  • In a bowl, combine the chopped cucumber, chopped egg and peas. In another bowl, whip the cream and mix with the mayonnaise.
  • Season with salt and pepper and lightly mix everything together.
  •  

    Mayonnaise Dressing For Russian Eggs
    15 g gelatin
    1 cup consommé
    1/2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
    2 tbsp white wine
    Whites and crushed shells of 2 eggs
    5 1/4 oz (150 g) mayonnaise
    3 tbsp milk
    Dash of salt
  • In an enameled sauce pan, combine the consommé, gelatin, vinegar, white wine, egg whites and crushed egg shells. Stir with a whisk until the gelatin softens; then bring almost to boiling point whisking all the time. Remove the whisk and leave for a few minutes. Let the liquid rise to the top of the pan, and remove from the heat. Strain the crust and liquid very gently into a bowl through a clean dish towel; do not break the crust as it acts as an extra filter. If it is cloudy, strain again to obtain a sparklingly clear aspic jelly.
  • In a bowl, combine 150 g (5 1/4 lf oz, approx. 2/3 cup) mayonnaise with 160 g (2/3 cup) of the aspic jelly, milk, vinegar and salt.
  • Use to decorate eggs, potato salads or fish
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    Last updated: November 1, 2010