James Beard's Onion Sandwich
Sandwiches and Appetizers

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James Beard refers to these sandwiches in his book Beard on Food. I first tasted these wonderful onion sandwiches at a wine tasting. They are fantastic!  Excellent with wine! This is quite possibly the perfect reward, along with a glass of wine, for yourself and your guests.

Onion Sandwich

8 slices firm-textured white bread, cut into quarters
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced into paper-thin slices*
Fleur de sel, coarse salt, or sea salt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons of finely minced chives or parsley

* Choose from Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui, Imperial, Carzalia, or Texas Spring sweet onions.

Arrange the bread slices next to one another on a flat work surface. Using a glass or an 1-inch round coo0kie cutter, cut out two (2) small rounds from each sandwich; discard trimmings.

  • Spread each bread circle with 1 tablespoon butter. Place a thin layer of sliced onions over the butter. Lightly season the onions with salt.

  • Assemble the sandwiches with remaining bread slices, pressing lightly to make them adhere.

  • Spread some of the mayonnaise around the outside rim of each sandwich round. Roll the rim of each sandwich in the chives or parsley to coat completely.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerator for a few hours.

Making Sandwiches Ahead of Time - If you need to make tea sandwiches in advance and need to keep them from drying out, cover them loosely with a sheet of wax paper and then place a damp kitchen towel over the wax paper (never place a damp towel directly on top of the bread because the sandwiches will become soggy. Refrigerate until serving time. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator. Uncover sandwiches only just before serving.

Makes 16 sandwich rounds.