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These cucumbers stay crisp well into the next day. Your base could be butter or cream cheese that's up to you. Preventing the cucumbers from turning soggy is the key.
Keeping this sandwich simple is an especially good idea if you intend to serve it alongside other savoury tea sandwiches.
CRISP CUCUMBER TEA SANDWICHES
Prep: | 20 minutes |
Cook:
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Inactive:
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Level:
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Easy
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Makes:
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8 finger sandwiches
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Oven Temperature:
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-
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Can recipe be doubled?
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Yes
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Make ahead?
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Yes, a day ahead, well covered in the refrigerator
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9 oz (250 g) cucumbers
I use cucumbers labelled as 'Japanese or Kyuri Cucumbers'. They are about 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter and about 10" (20.5 cm) in length. Skins and seeds which are underdeveloped can be eaten and are ideal for sandwiches.
If you don't have access to these, you would mostly likely have to peel your cucumbers and if the seeds are large and unpalatable, get rid of the seeds as well. You will need to take into account these lost 'trimmings' and still have 9oz (250g) of cucumbers to work with.
If you don't have access to these, you would mostly likely have to peel your cucumbers and if the seeds are large and unpalatable, get rid of the seeds as well. You will need to take into account these lost 'trimmings' and still have 9oz (250g) of cucumbers to work with.
1/3 teaspoon salt
8 slices white sandwich bread
Butter, unsalted or slightly salted, soften for spreading OR Cream Cheese, soften for spreading
Directions
Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can manage at a slight diagonal. I find a mandolin the best tool here. Use it if you have one. Transfer the sliced cucumbers into a colander that has been placed over a bowl. Sprinkle salt over the cucumbers and toss briefly. Set aside for 5 minutes. No longer or it will get too salty and soggy.
While waiting, lightly butter all 8 slices of bread. If you are using cream cheese, skip the butter and spread on cream cheese instead. Cream cheese must be completely soften before you try to spread it. If not, it will be difficult to spread and you will likely tear the bread up trying to do so. Set aside. Cover with kitchen towel so they do not dry out.
Taste a cucumber slice. It should be just slightly salty. Some liquid from the cucumbers would have collected in the bowl. Gently squeeze the cucumbers. Squeeze out just 1 Tablespoons of liquid. Do not be tempted to squeeze out more. Discard liquid. Use kitchen paper towels to gently blot up excess liquid off cucumbers. You should have 1 and 1/2 cups of sliced cucumbers. The slight salting and squeezing out of excess liquid helps keep your sandwiches from becoming soggy. If you over salt and over squeeze them, you will get rather dry and leathery tasting cucumbers. Don't over squeeze.
If you are not using Japanese Kyuri cucumbers and have removed the cucumber skins, be gentler when you squeeze out access liquid from them.
If you are not using Japanese Kyuri cucumbers and have removed the cucumber skins, be gentler when you squeeze out access liquid from them.
Set 4 bread slices on your work surface. Overlap the cucumber slices, working up to 2 or 3 layers of overlapping cucumbers per bread slice. It depends on how thin you were able to slice your cucumbers to begin with. It might just be in my head, but the uniformity of the arrangement seems to give the sandwiches a more pronounced crunch with every bite. Cover the sandwiches with the 4 remaining bread slices.
Trim the crusts off. Slice each sandwich into 2. You will have 8 finger sandwiches.
They are refreshing, clean tasting and crunchy at the same time and as I mentioned, they don't go soggy. Big plus point!
Tips
- How do you keep your sandwiches from drying out?
- How do you transport your sandwiches?
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| Click on the link for these sandwiches. Ham and Honey Butter Tea Sandwiches |
Choose an air tight container. I like to reuse a pretty biscuit tin. Line the tin with your best tea towel and let the ends drape over the box. Fill with sandwiches. Line the top with a damp tea towel. Fold over the ends of your best tea towel. Cover biscuit tin with its lid.
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
If for any reason you need the sandwiches to stay cooler for a longer period in the biscuit tin, here is what I do.
Lay a tea towel on a kitchen counter. Place a shallow tray or the inverted lid of a plastic box that can fit the bottom of the biscuit tin on the tea towel. Set your pre-chilled chiller/cooler pack on the tray/plastic lid.
Neatly fold over the loose ends of the tea towel over the tray/plastic lid and chiller/cooler pack. Invert this package and transfer to the bottom of the biscuit tin. The flat side of the tray/plastic lid will serve as the base to lay your best tea towel before your lay your sandwiches. Fill with sandwiches. Fold over the ends of your best tea towel. Cover with a neatly folded damp tea towel. Cover tin with its lid. Remember to remove the damp tea towel before serving.
Only one more recipe and my series on an English Afternoon Tea spread will be complete! Here's a recap of the recipes that I have worked on and posted:
Crisp Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
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| English Afternoon Tea.
Top plate: Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, Checkerboard Cookies,
Sweet Milk Scones. Bottom plate first layer: Egg and Cress, Roast Beef with Beetroot, Crisp Cucumbers.
Bottom plate second layer: Roast Beef with Beetroot, Salmon
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Recently posted:
Crisp Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
The last upcoming post in this series:
Good hints for the cucumber sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Let me know when you make them.
ReplyDeleteMake me some! Love cucumber sandwiches. Gardenia bread the best?
ReplyDeleteAny good white bread that you like will do. You should try making them. Very simple. You could do it with one eye closed.
ReplyDelete