WWLE? What Would Ladies Eat?

Basic Rules for Assembling a Tea Sandwich. (Sometimes called a Finger Sandwich)

1. Use fresh, thinly sliced bread. This is where commercially sliced bread actually shines. Some manufacturers brand their bread as Thin Sliced or Very Thin. This type of bread is ideal for making this type of sandwich. Artisanal bread can be used, but it must be professionally sliced. A slice of about ¼” thick generally works best. If the bread seems too thick, flatten it with a rolling pin.

2. Do not toast the bread! Tea sandwiches are supposed to be soft and light as air.

3. Cut off all the crusts. Always. This makes the sandwiches look “sophisticated.”

4. If making more than one sandwich, follow these steps.

• Set up the slices in two rows on your work area.

• One row is the bread that will get the flavoring agent — butter, mustard, mayonnaise.

• The facing row is the bread that will get the filling. 5. Always put a very thin layer of fl avoring on one slice of bread. This could be butter, soft cheese, mustard, mayonnaise or good quality olive oil. For sandwiches with sweet or sweet and savory fillings, one might use jam, preserves or honey. Some recipes call for flavoring on both sides of the bread. This is very much the chef’s choice.

6. The filling can either go between two pieces of flavored bread or on a slice that has not been flavored.

7. The filing can be restricted to one ingredient — a single slice of cheese — for example, or it can have a second complementary component such as a wafer-thin slice of cucumber or a small lettuce leaf.

8. If using a filling like tuna or egg salad, only use enough so that the bread has the lightest possible coating. Keep all fillings away from the borders of the slice.

9. When all the slices of bread have been prepared, match them up and cut them.

10. A tea sandwich is cut in half, either length-wise, to create a rectangle, or diagonally, to make a triangle.

11. If not serving immediately, cover the sandwiches with a lightly dampened cloth, paper towel or plastic wrap.

Refrigerate, but take them out a few minutes prior to serving so that the sandwiches are not cold. Keep them covered until serving.

Remember: The idea is for the sandwich to look like the merest “nothing.” It should taste fabulous.

Tea Sandwich Fillings

Some fillings are iconic, like the cucumber sandwich. Both slices of bread are buttered, and several wafer-thin cucumbers nestle between the two slices. Here are some other options.

Note for Vegans: There are many vegan butters, cheeses and other types of spreads that can be used for vegan tea sandwiches. Enjoy!

The Classic Cucumber Sandwich

Peel the cucumbers and cut them as thin as possible. Salt the sliced cucumbers and put them aside. Prepare the bread with butter on both pieces of bread. Pour off any liquid that has resulted from salting the cucumbers. Dry them with a towel. Create a layer of cucumbers on one of the pieces of bread. If the cucumbers are really thin, two layers is fine. Cover the cucumbers with the other slice of bread. Cut and serve.

Variations: While not traditional, there are many ways to customize this classic. Instead of butter, use hummus or a soft, spreadable cheese, add a layer of thinly sliced radish, add freshly ground pepper, incorporate some chopped herbs into the butter or even a drop of truffle oil. Top with a sprig of arugula or fresh chives.

Vegan Twist Instead of butter, substitute Fortnum & Mason’s Vegan Chilli and Paprika Mayonnaise.**

Truffle Delight Featuring Fortnum & Mason Minced Black Truffle or Truffle Oil Add a small amount of Fortnum & Mason minced black truffle or truffle oil to sweet butter and use it to flavor bread for a sliced egg sandwich. A variation is to flavor the bread with mayonnaise and flavor the egg salad with one of these products.

Sliced Egg or Egg Salad (or any other type of “salad” filling) Flavor the bread with either plain or flavored mayonnaise, top with very finely chopped egg salad or thin hard-boiled egg slices. Gently season the eggs with salt, if desired, freshlyground pepper, a dash of curry powder or paprika.

Smoked Salmon Flavor both pieces of bread with a thin layer of any spreadable mild cheese. Cover one slice of bread with a very thinly-sliced piece of smoked salmon. If desired, top with a little chopped dill, a few capers or a splash of lemon juice.

Chutney and Cheese Mix a small amount (to taste) of any fruit chutney (i.e. Major Grey’s Mango) into softened cream cheese. Spread a thin layer on both pieces of bread. Top with a thin slice of fruit — either fresh or preserved. For example, if using mango chutney, top with a thin slice of very ripe mango. To make an easy chutney, use either apricot, peach or pineapple jam. Mix with curry powder to taste. One can also add a little garlic powder if desired. Add a little water or sherry to get the right consistency.

The Mediterranean Apply a thin layer of hummus (any savory flavor) to both sides of the bread. Cover one slice with a mixture of thin pickle and grated carrots. Other options include sliced egg with a little harissa (hot sauce) and toasted pine nuts and grated carrots.

The American Apply a thin layer of any type of nut butter — peanut, almond, cashew — smooth or crunchy, on one slice of bread and the jelly or jam of your choice on the other slice. Enjoy! If you like, add a layer of thinly sliced bananas and/or mini marshmallows.

Meat and/or Cheese Flavor one slice with mustard, mayonnaise or butter. On the other slice put 1 thin slice of the meat of your choice and one thin slice of cheese. Or double up on the meat or go cheese only.

Fruit and Cheese Apply a thin coat of your favorite spreadable cheese on both pieces of the bread. Cover one piece with the thinly sliced fresh fruit of your choice — apple, pear, strawberry, mango. For more variety, use two different flavors of cheese, one on each slice of bread.

Fruit and Cheese – British Style A variation of the Fruit and Cheese sandwich is to use a good quality jam or marmalade instead of the fruit. For an authentic English take on this sandwich, use a good quality English cheese and pair it with Fortnum & Mason’s Old English Hunt Marmalade.

Walnut Raisin Use walnut raisin bread for this sandwich. Spread each slice with cream cheese. If desired, cover the cheese with chopped walnuts or other nuts and a few raisins.

Sliced Avocado or Smashed Avocado Sliced — Spread a little Russian dressing on each side of the bread. Put a piece if lettuce or arugula on each slice. Cover one piece of bread with thinly-sliced ripe avocado. Season with freshly-ground pepper, a splash of lemon juice and some capers if desired. Smashed — Spread a little thick salsa on one slice of bread. Spread guacamole on the other slice. If desired, sprinkle with some freshly-chopped cilantro.

Enjoy! ** Fortnum & Mason ships non-perishable items to the United States and many other countries. Williams Sonoma carries a line of Fortnum & Mason products in the United States.