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Proper English Tea Sandwiches

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Ingredients
  

For the Cucumber Dill Sandwiches:

  • ½ large cucumber 
  • 4-ounces cream cheese, softened
  • Lemon zest
  • Pinch of salt
  • Fresh dill, chopped
  • 6 slices potato bread

For the Salmon Sandwiches:

  • 1 package smoked salmon
  • ½ large cucumber
  • 2-ounces cream cheese
  • Fresh dill, chopped
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 slices pumpernickel bread

For the Egg Sandwiches:

  • 4 eggs, hard boiled
  • 2 tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • Pinch of paprika
  • 6 slices potato bread

For the Chicken Cranberry Sandwiches:

  • 3 boneless chicken breasts 
  • ¼ tsp. fresh thyme
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2-ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1 sprig watercress
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 6 slices potato bread

Instructions
 

To prepare the chicken cranberry sandwiches:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  • Season chicken breasts with olive oil, salt and thyme.
  • Place in the pre-heated oven and bake 30 minutes or internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool; rip cooked chicken into roughly 1-½ inch pieces.
  • Halve the cranberries and smash in a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
  • Combine cranberries, chicken and mayonnaise mixture until incorporated.
  • Butter the sliced potato bread.
  • Add the chicken mixture and a layer of watercress.
  • Cut off the crusts and slice into rectangles.

To prepare the cucumber dill sandwiches:

  • Chope the dill.
  • In a small bowl, combine the dill with the softened cream cheese, lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
  • This mixture will be used again..
  • Cut paper thin slices of cucumber; a mandolin (if available) will help with uniform thin slices.
  • Spread cream cheese mixture onto potato bread and add cucumbers slices.
  • Cut off crusts and slice into rectangles.

To prepare the salmon sandwiches:

  • Spread the same cream cheese mixture from the cucumber dill sandwiches on the pumpernickel bread.
  • Add a layer of paper thin cucumbers and then salmon; a mandolin (if available) will help with uniform thin slices.
  • Cut a circle out of the sandwich; discard remainder of the bread of use to make croutons.
  • Transfer some of the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag and pipe a dollop on the top of each sandwich.
  • Add a dill sprig for garnish.

To prepare the egg sandwiches:

  • In a bowl, mash hard boiled eggs.
  • Chop watercress.
  • Add butter, mayonnaise, paprika and watercress to a bowl; mix to thoroughly combine.
  • Butter potato bread slices.
  • Add egg mixture.
  • Cut off crusts and slice into rectangles.

Notes

To save time, feel free to use a rotisserie chicken instead of cookinig the chicken breasts at home.
Using fresh herbs instead of dried makes a huge difference in flavor.
Make sure to trim the tea sandwiches, with a serrated knife, after you fill them; this will make for a neater edge. 
All of these sandwiches will keep for a few hours as long as they are covered so the bread doesn’t dry out.
Buttering the insides prevents the filling’s moisture from making the bread soggy.
The egg or chicken fillings can be made ahead;  cover, refrigerate and assemble before serving.
Using pumpernickel bread for the salmon sandwiches is highly recommemded; it perfectly balances the strong flavor of the smoked fish.