united kingdomTheSpiceOdysseyMarch 25, 2021tea

Tea Sandwiches

united kingdomTheSpiceOdysseyMarch 25, 2021tea

If you love great British classics like Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations and Jane Eyre, these are the dishes you want to note down for your treasured recipe box. The scones with clotted cream and sweet jam are always my go to, and they are an absolute must if you are putting together an afternoon tea ceremony. Dainty little bites of scones and tiny finger sandwiches are perfect for a bridal shower or a baby shower.

Jump To Recipe

I have a number of friends who are obsessed with British Royals and TV shows like Downton Abbey, The Crown and Bridgerton. To be honest, I should include myself in that list too because I absolutely love British culture, so much so that even my own bridal shower was Royal Ascot theme. Do I live for the royal weddings? You bet! Yes, I did take the day off to watch the live streamed wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It just so happens I didn’t exist in this universe when Princess Diana and Prince Charles were wedded back in 1981.

Anyway, I digress but my little story should indicate how much I take these recipes seriously and do my utmost to maintain the authentic flavors. Even though I didn’t grow up in British culture, I vaguely remember having tea sandwiches from my childhood. Perhaps remnants of the colonial past that still exists in Bangladesh, India and rest of South-Asia. Tiny little finger sandwiches like the egg salad and prawn and cucumber are all too familiar to me. Maybe it was weekend outings where my family always treated the children with yummy foreign foods. Or maybe, it was at our posh family friends who would upkeep British culture, lest they stray too far away from the sophisticated society. I say that with a mouthful of sarcasm. All jokes aside, both have their own merits — dainty tea sandwiches with cream tea and piping hot shingara (flaky samosa) with a spiced cha! Afterall, food is meant to unite us, not cause division. We can’t we enjoy both?

Recipe — Tea Sandwich

Egg Salad, Prawn & Cucumbers, Smoked Salmon

Serves: 4-6

Tea sandwich may take a number of different forms, but should be easy to handle, and should be capable of being eaten in two or three bites. It may be a long, narrow sandwich, a triangular half-sandwich, or a small biscuit. It might seem of no concern but unlike regular sandwiches, you should be meticulous when putting together tea sandwiches. Afterall, presentation is very important when putting together afternoon tea. Before you get to the recipes, I have shared plenty of tips and tricks which will guide you to the right path and set you off to a good start for making scrummy little sandwiches.

Tips & Tricks for Tea Sandwiches

Allow 4 to 6 cut sandwich pieces per person.
Choose the best-quality bread. Never serve end slices.
Freezing bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling.
Bread should be lightly buttered no matter what the filling. Butter should be at room temperature before spreading. Sandwiches will not become limp and soggy as readily if you spread butter right to edge of bread.
Cut crusts off bread with long, sharp knife after (not before) assembling sandwiches. This keeps everything neater.
Since tea sandwiches should be delicate, cut each sandwich into thirds or quarters or in half diagonally. Or use cookie cutters to cut into decorative shapes.
It may be a long, narrow sandwich, a triangular half-sandwich, or a small biscuit.
Fillings are light, and are "dainty" or "delicate" in proportion to the amount of bread.

Smoked Salmon

Cream Cheese - I don't judge, lay it on thick
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Dill - 1-2 tsp, finely chopped
Smoked Salmon - 6 oz
Salt - to taste
Black Pepper - to taste
Rye Bread - 6 loaves

Butter the bread. Mix together cream cheese, dill, lemon juice and salt to taste. Spread all the slices of bread evenly with cream cheese mix. Divide smoked salmon evenly between the three loaves then top it off with the remaining three loaves. Cut off crusts and cut into rectangles.

Egg Salad

Eggs - 4, hard boiled
Mayonnaise - ¼ cup
Dijon Mustard - 1 tsp
Chives - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Paprika - just a pinch
Salt - to taste
Black Pepper - to taste
Potato Bread - 6 loaves

Mash hard boiled eggs. Add mayonnaise, dijon mustard, chives, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined. Butter the bread. Spread mixture onto three slice of bread, then top with the other three slices. Cut crusts and cut into rectangles.

Prawn & Cucumber

English Cucumber - ½
Cream Cheese - lay it on thick sis!
Lemon Zest - 1 tsp
Dill - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Black Pepper - to taste
Potato Bread - 6 loaves
Cooked Shrimp - 6

Combine cream cheese, lemon zest, chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste. Cut paper thin slices of cucumber. Butter the bread. Spread cream cheese mixture onto the bread. Add cucumber slices. Cut crusts, then cut into circles or rectangles. Top each circle/rectangle with a cooked shrimp. This is an open faced sandwich.

Note: You could remove the shrimp and make it a vegetarian sandwich. Cut crusts and cut into rectangles like the other sandwiches.

Now I know, you are not seeing a picture of this cucumber/cucumber-shrimp sandwich. Well, that’s because my cucumber went bad. Apparently that is a thing and I wasn’t up for a mushy cucumber sandwich. But I still wanted to give you guys a recipe. Had I made myself a cucumber sandwich that day, this would be it, definitely topped with shrimp. This girl loves her shrampies!