English cucumber sandwich – the classic at afternoon tea
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Do you like cucumber sandwich? Then you have probably already celebrated the classic British afternoon tea? This is now also possible in Germany – mostly in larger hotels, but also occasionally in cafes and restaurants. A great overview with the best addresses for Afternoon Tea in Germany can be found on the blog “A decent cup of Tea”
For the classic Afternoon Tea there is … of course tea … and then various delicious trifles to go with it. Usually at least three courses are served, more is of course always possible:
- Sandwiches with cucumber, cress, salmon or egg salad
- Scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam
- Sweet little cakes, similar to petit four.
I have already experienced the Afternoon Tea in various locations. My absolute favorite – and by far – was the Afternoon Tea at the Axis Bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Singapore, followed by the Afternoon Tea at the Hotel de Rome Berlin.
What is a cucumber sandwich?
No classic afternoon tea is perfect without the signature cucumber sandwiches! At first glance, such a cucumber sandwich is actually quite a simple story: White bread with butter and cucumber. Maybe a little pepper or cress. Thought. Well, it’s not quite that simple after all. With such simple and few ingredients, it definitely depends on the right preparation and also on the quality of the ingredients.
The sandwiches that are eaten at afternoon tea time are meant to satisfy the appetite until dinner time. In any case, they should be easy to handle and can be eaten in a few bites. That’s why they are also called finger sandwiches. I prefer the classic shape in narrow strips, alternatively, the bread can simply be cut in half into triangles or use a cookie cutter to make decorative shapes.
The bread for the cucumber sandwich
Even if it is temptingly simple: just don’t use the sandwich toast from the supermarket. These soft slices are not really suitable for a delicious cucumber sandwich in my opinion – they simply lack flavor and are much too dry.
A better choice is a box of white bread from the baker you trust. The slices for the cucumber sandwich must not be cut too thickly. I cut the white bread freshly with the universal cutter just before the preparation, so that the bread does not dry out.
The cucumbers for the cucumber sandwich
Salad cucumbers or also normal garden cucumbers are suitable. Basically only the firm flesh is used and not the watery inside of the cucumber with the seeds. The cucumber is peeled and carefully cut into strips from the outside with a cucumber slicer.
Butter, margarine or cream cheese?
Normally I use a light vegetable margarine as spread in my kitchen. For the cucumber sandwich, however, I recommend using classic butter – either salted or unsalted, depending on your personal taste.
I have also eaten the cucumber sandwich with a cream cheese preparation before. It also tasted good, but my favorite is a lightly salted classic butter.