Oh those tea parties!

 

What comes to mind when someone says high tea to you? I think of a snooty woman with a lorgnette holding a fine china cup of tea, her little finger crooked in the air. But according to some web sites, I’m all wrong. That would be afternoon tea, as served in boutique and upscale hotels across the country. Afternoon tea features dainty finger sandwiches, fruit, cheeses, scones, and other sweets or cakes. And tea—a wide choice of fine tea. It’s an upper-class snack that traces back to a nineteenth-century noblewoman in England who became “peckish” during the long hiatus between the noonday meal and dinner, which was often not eaten until seven or eight.

High tea on the other hand is a heavier meal of the working class, usually eaten around 5:00 or 600 p.m. The meal consists of substantial food, enough to sustain a man who had been working hard all day--cold meats, vegetables, pickled fish, potatoes, salads, pies, tarts, homemade bread or crackers with butter, teacakes, and fruitcakes. Legend varies as to the origin of the name—some say people sat in high-backed chairs while eating; others claim they sat at high tables, as opposed to the low tables used for afternoon tea.

I’m an afternoon tea fan myself. My father, a Canadian native and very much an Anglophile in his outlook on life, relished his afternoon tea every day after he retired. He liked his tea as the British do—half milk and half tea—and Mom always had some sweet treat to go with it. But the thing that intrigues me about afternoon tea is the finger sandwiches.

The other night I flew in the face of tradition and served finger sandwiches—cucumber/cream cheese and egg salad—for happy hour. And ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day. There are a few cautions to remember when making these delicacies. One is the bread: I find that Pepperidge Farm thin-sliced white sandwich bread works best. It holds up rather than turning to cotton in your mouth. For some fillings, such as smoked salmon, rye or even pumpernickel may be appropriate and in other cases a good wheat, but it should be a firm, thin-sliced bread. Also remember that to be really elegant you want to trim the crusts off (I know, wasteful!) and cut the sandwich into diagonal halves or even quarters—or maybe long thin strips, three from each sandwich. Square slices of bread work best, which is another reason sandwich bread is so good.

Another caution is that everything should be finely minced and diced. I make a fairly chunky egg salad, but if it’s for finger sandwiches, I dice the eggs into the tiniest bits. And finally, be sparing with what you use to bind ingredients. You do not want the sandwiches to get soggy. Especially if you make sandwiches ahead, it’s best to coat the interior sides of the sandwich bread with a thin layer of butter. Mayonnaise, or cream cheese spread.

Here’s what I did:

Egg salad filling

4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and finely diced

3-4 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. capers, well drained and finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Cucumber/cream cheese filling

           Cucumbers have a lot of water content, so slice thinly, lay out on paper towels, salt lightly, and cover with another paper towel. Press to release liquid and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the filling.

1 English cucumber

8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

¼ c. mayonnaise

1 tsp. dried dill weed (or 2 Tbsp. minced fresh)

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. garlic power

           Spread each piece of bread with the filling. Top one slice with cucumbers and then add the next slice. Having the filling on each piece in a sandwich presents a barrier to keep moisture from the cucumber from making the bread soggy.

There are countless other combinations you can use for filling. The cream cheese spread above is delicious with smoked salmon instead of cucumber—or maybe both. Try some of these other fillings: chicken salad, perhaps with a touch of curry; tuna salad; ham salad, maybe add thinly sliced apple; pimiento cheese; roast beef with blue cheese; crab with basil and a cream cheese spread; goat cheese and chopped pecans. Use your imagination—the possibilities are endless.

Finger sandwiches make a great light meal for summer. Just add a big salad to the menu. Enjoy!