Tea sandwiches fit for royalty

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - What is the difference between an American sandwich and an English tea sandwich? British-born chef Richard Knight from Harold's Restaurant & Tap Room, demonstrates the secrets to making tea sandwiches with FOX 26 News segment contributor and food talk radio show host Cleverley Stone. 

English Tea Sandwiches
Source: Chef Richard Knight, Harold's Restaurant + Tap Room

Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwich

• Two slices of sandwich bread
• Thinly sliced smoked salmon
• Cream cheese
• Milk
• A fresh lemon
• Fresh dill sprigs
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix a bit of milk into the cream cheese until the cream cheese is easy to spread. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice. Blend mixture well.
2. Spread the cream cheese mixture on two slices of bread.
3. Add a couple of slices of salmon on top of cream cheese mixture, a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh dill sprigs.
4. Put two slices of bread together to make a sandwich.
5. Carefully slice off all of the crust on the four sides of the bread.
6. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally. Then slice each half diagonally to make four triangle-shaped pieces of sandwich.
7. To serve: Stack sandwich triangles on a plate, side by side, long side down and standing up so that a point of the triangle points upward.

Roast Beef Tea Sandwich

• Two slices of sandwich bread
• Thinly sliced roast beef
• Horseradish sauce (bottled sauce OK)
• Flat leaf parsley sprigs
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Spread both pieces of bread with the horseradish sauce.
2. Add a couple of slices of roast beef to the bread.
3. Put the two pieces of bread together to make a sandwich.
4. Carefully slice off all of the crust on the four sides of the bread.
5. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally. Then slice each half diagonally to make four triangle-shaped pieces of sandwich.
6. To serve: Stack sandwich triangles on a plate, side by side, long side down and standing up so that a point of the triangle points upward.

Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwich

• Two slices of sandwich bread
• Chicken salad (make your favorite chicken salad recipe or buy pre-made chicken salad at grocery store)
• Pinch of curry powder
• A fresh lemon for juice and zest

Directions

1. Add a bit of curry powder to the chicken salad. Be careful not to add too much. A little pinch goes a long way. Mix chicken salad and curry powder together until blended.
2. Mix in a light squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest.
3. Spread both pieces of bread with chicken salad.
4. Put the two pieces of bread together to make a sandwich.
5. Carefully slice off all of the crust on the four sides of the bread.
6. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally. Then slice each half diagonally to make four triangle-shaped pieces of sandwich.
7. To serve: Stack sandwich triangles on a plate, side by side, long side down and standing up so that a point of the triangle points upward.

Cucumber Tea Sandwich

• Two slices of sandwich bread
• Thinly sliced English seedless cucumber, skin on
• Salt
• Unsalted butter, room temperature
• Fresh mint, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Lightly salt the cucumber slices. Let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse slices with water and pat dry.
2. Spread both pieces of bread with the room temperature unsalted butter.
3. Add cucumber slices to both side of bread. Top with some chopped mint.
4. Put the two pieces of bread together to make a sandwich.
5. Carefully slice off all of the crust on the four sides of the bread.
6. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally. Then slice each half diagonally to make four triangle-shaped pieces of sandwich.
7. To serve: Stack sandwich triangles on a plate, side by side, long side down and standing up so that a point of the triangle points upward.

Additional suggestions:

• Use different kinds of sliced bread (white, whole wheat, pumpernickel, etc.)
• Use the cream cheese mixture with any of the sandwiches.
• After making the sandwich and before cutting it, use a round cookie cutter to cut sandwiches into a different shape.
• Make tea sandwiches using your favorite egg salad and tuna salad recipes.