Cucumber Tea Sandwich
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced (about 32 slices)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup coarsely chopped watercress leaves
16 slices best-quality white bread*
Salt to taste
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
*
Choose the best-quality white or wheat bread as
possible. Never serve end slices. Freezing the bread before cutting and then
spreading makes for easier handling.
Place cucumber slices between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a small bowl, combine butter and watercress; spread on one side of each slice of bread.
Lay cucumber slices onto the buttered side of eight (8) slices of bread. Sprinkle
the cucumbers with salt. Cover each with 1 tablespoon alfalfa sprouts and top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.
Carefully cut the crusts from each sandwich with a long, sharp knife after the
sandwiches are filled. Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then cut in half again.
If desired, decorative shapes can be made with
cookie cutters.
Yields 8 whole sandwiches or 16 halves or 32 fourths.
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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.
When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator. Uncover sandwiches just
before serving.
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