Cucumber Sandwiches
The essential afternoon tea sandwich: thin, crisp and never soggy.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 12 finger sandwiches
- Difficulty
- Easy
Cucumber sandwiches are simple, which is why the details matter. Salting the cucumber first draws out water, and buttering right to the edges seals the bread so it stays crisp.
Ingredients
- 1cucumber
- 8slices soft white bread, medium-sliced, a day old if possible
- 60gunsalted butter, very soft
- fine salt and ground white pepper
- a few mint leaves, finely chopped (optional)
Equipment
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Method
- 1
Peel the cucumber in stripes if you like, then slice it as thinly as possible.
- 2
Lay the slices in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt and leave for 15–20 minutes. Pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.
- 3
Butter every slice of bread right to the edges.
- 4
Arrange the cucumber in overlapping layers on four slices. Season with white pepper and mint, if using, and top with the remaining bread.
- 5
Press down gently, cut off the crusts with a sharp serrated knife, then cut each sandwich into three fingers or four triangles.
- 6
Serve within an hour, or cover with a damp (not wet) clean tea towel and chill for up to 2 hours.
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