The tea sandwich, also referred to as a finger sandwich, is an essential part of traditional English afternoon tea. They were served as the first course at teatime before scones and cakes. Typical fillings and flavors of a tea sandwich were light and simple in flavor. Popular fillings are usually thin-sliced cucumber or radishes with butter. Others may be a simple egg salad with a little watercress and smoked salmon. The purpose of a bite-size tea sandwich was to tide one over between the long lapse between lunch and a formal dinner, which was served in high society at 8 p.m.
I gave my little tea sandwich a bit of a twist by adding a second layer. One is a typical layer of thinly sliced cucumber, and the second is a flavorful shrimp salad. These tea sandwiches are a delicious addition to an afternoon tea party, not to mention, they look quite pretty.
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Yields 3 dozen
6 ounces softened cream cheese
5½ ounces garlic and herb boursin cheese
½ cup chopped celery
1⁄3 cup chopped green onions
½ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-pound medium-sized boiled, peeled shrimp
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon of hot sauce
24 slices of white bread
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12 slices of wheat bread
1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and boursin together until smooth.
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the celery, green onions, 1 tablespoon of the boursin and cream cheese mixture (saving the remaining for later use), mayonnaise, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until all is incorporated but there is still texture in the celery and green onion.
- Add in the boiled shrimp, dill weed, ¼ teaspoon of the Creole seasoning and the hot sauce. Pulse the food processor until the shrimp are just chopped but not pureed.
- Place the shrimp salad in an airtight container and chill for 30 minutes to an hour before assembling the sandwiches.
- To assemble the sandwiches, take 1 slice of white bread and spread it with 2 tablespoons of the shrimp salad. Spread 2 tablespoons of the remaining boursin mixture on top of a slice of wheat bread. Place this slice of wheat bread on top of the shrimp salad layer. Place 6 to 8 pieces of the cucumbers on top of the wheat bread with boursin. Sprinkle the cucumbers with a little Creole seasoning and top this layer with a second slice of white bread. Use a serrated knife to cut the crusts off of the sandwiches and then slice each into thirds.
- Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel to prevent the sandwiches from drying out as you repeat Step 5 to assemble the rest of the tea sandwiches.
- Cover the tea sandwiches with plastic wrap and chill until you are ready to serve. These can be made 1 day in advance.
This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue of 225 magazine.