Cold-water North Atlantic prawn boiled at sea, peeled at the counter, eaten on dense rye bread with house-made mayonnaise, fresh dill and lemon. The Oslo summer staple, sold by the kilo on the Rådhusbrygga harbour wharf.

Norwegian prawn has been an Oslo summer ritual since the working fishing boats began selling reker straight from the deck on Rådhusbrygga in the 1920s. The Skagerrak cold-water catch is boiled in seawater at sea, the prawns are peeled by hand at the counter and eaten on dense rye bread with house mayonnaise. The harbour quay queue still forms from May through September; Solsiden has the canonical sit-down version on the Aker Brygge waterfront.

Where to eat Norwegian prawn (reker) in Oslo

3 editor picks for Norwegian prawn (reker) in Oslo, ranked by editorial score. All Oslo signature dishes · Norwegian prawn (reker) across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 220 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 500g cooked North Atlantic prawn in the shell (preferably sea-boiled)
  • 4 thick slices dense rye sourdough
  • 40g unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 tbsp good mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann's or Norwegian Mills)
  • 1 tbsp creme fraiche
  • 1 small bunch dill, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
  • 1 small Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Peel the prawns over a bowl, working through the pile and discarding heads and shells. You should have about 220g of peeled meat. Chill until needed.
  2. Stir the mayonnaise, creme fraiche, half the dill and a squeeze of lemon together. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Butter the rye slices to the very edges; the butter is what stops the bread going soggy.
  4. Lay a leaf of lettuce on each slice. Pile the prawns high in a dome, about 55g per slice.
  5. Spoon over the dill mayonnaise, scatter the remaining dill on top and finish with a grind of black pepper.
  6. Serve with lemon wedges on the side and eat with a knife and fork. Best with cold pilsner or aquavit.

Editor tip. Buy prawns in the shell, not pre-peeled; the salty brine on the shell is half the flavour and the peeling is the whole point. Eat the same day.

Common allergens: Crustacean, Gluten, Egg.