I haven’t always been a joiner. No jumping on a bandwagon. But I have definitely caught on to the mahjong hype. I was late to the party, largely because the first friends I knew who started playing did so years before it became a national obsession and I that time I thought it was a little weird to be honest. Then the game started to get attention, and it seemed like everyone I knew had a little group going. I felt left out, so some other bam bird orphans and I took a lesson and started out own little group. And it turns out I love it. We get together once a month and play a fun game and really have some deep and meaningful conversations. And there are snacks. When we started, I was not in possession of a table or a mahjong set, so I volunteered to be the snack lady. I have acquired the necessary accoutrements now (such cute things!), but I still like to be the snack lady. Many of my mahjong recipes have appeared here. But I think one of the best snacks for game play is the classic tea sandwich. They are easy to eat one handed, don’t make too big a mess and are delicious. So here are three of my favorites. Elements can be made ahead, they are not too fancy and they are not messy to eat. What could be better?
Curried Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
I start with Curried Egg Salad. This is intentionally a very simple egg salad, but using curry powder gives it big flavor payoff. I go simple here, because you need a filling that will spread easily on the bread and be easy to eat, without pieces falling out all over your clothes. I also generally serve this with other tea sandwiches or little bites, so there is no need to go overboard.
I turn again to this genius method for cooking eggs for an egg salad. No peeling hardboiled eggs! Crack them in a loaf pan, cook them in a water bath, and chop chop chop. As I mention above and below, I really like to chop the egg pretty fine, so you get that smooth filling that doesn’t squish out of the sandwich, dropping a big chunk of egg white on your party frock. I like this on very thin white bread so the flavorful egg salad shines, but is delicious on mini baguettes, mini naan breads or crackers.
6 large eggs
3 green onions, finely diced
¼ cup mayonnaise (and a few Tablespoons more if needed)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Generous grinds of black pepper
A dash of turmeric (optional)
12 slices very thin white bread
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Choose a loaf pan and a larger pan it will fit in to make a water bath (like a 9 by 13). Spray the loaf pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
Crack the eggs carefully into the loaf pan. Try to keep the yolks intact but it is okay if they break. Put the loaf pan in the larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water from the tap up to the level of the eggs. Do not splash any water into the eggs. Transfer carefully to the oven and bake for 20 – 22 minutes, until the eggs no longer jiggle. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cutting board and chop very finely. For use in a delicate tea sandwiches, I like to chop the egg very small so the filling is cohesive and, frankly, no big chunks fall out on your dress when you are eating.
Whisk the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and whiskt to combine completely. Put the chopped eggs and chopped green onions in the bowl and use a fork to mash and stir everything together. I switch to a little spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to get everything combined. If you feel it needs to be a bit more spreadable, add some more mayonnaise. You can add a dash of turmeric to pump up the yellow color if you like. The egg salad can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to two days.
To make the sandwiches, cut the crusts from the bread, then spread an even layer of egg salad on four pieces, then top with the other four pieces. Don’t spread too thick of a layer – again these are meant to be eaten delicately with out of hand – and spread to the edges of the bread. Cut into triangles.
It really is best to make these within an hour of serving, but to do it more than that ahead, spread a very thin layer of butter on both the bottom and top pieces of bread, this helps seal the bread so it doesn’t go soggy. Cover the sandwiches with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap on top.
Makes 12
Peppered Ham and Cheddar Tea Sandwiches
These lovely Peppered Ham and Cheese bites may hardly seem like a recipe, but it makes for a deliciously simple tea sandwich. It is, believe it or not, inspired by a sandwich I buy all the time from a chain sandwich place in London. It’s the butter blended with tons of black pepper that makes it worthwhile. Try to find sliced white cheddar, but yellow will be good too.
For the Black Pepper Butter
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
12 slices firm wheat sandwich bread
12 thin slices of black forest ham
6 slices white cheddar cheese
Blend the butter, cream, pepper and salt together in a small bowl. You can use an electric mixer or just mash it together with a fork really well until completely combined.
Trim the crusts from the bread. Spread the black pepper butter generously over one side of each slice of bread, making sure to spread it all the way to the edges. Layer 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of Cheddar over 6 slices of bread, then top with the remaining bread, buttered side down. Wrap the sandwiches tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, cut each sandwich in half.
Makes 12
Turkey, Brie and Apple Sliders
A Turkey, Brie and Apple sandwich is one of my all-time favorites. Here, I make it bitesized on soft little brioche rolls – the kind that come in a package as one slab of rolls. A tangy little honey mustard spread adds some interest while tart and crisp apples, smoky turkey and creamy cheese create layers of flavor. And they are terribly cute as well!
1 Honeycrisp apple
A pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon honey
12 brioche or Hawaiian dinner rolls
12 slices of smoked turkey
7 ounces of brie
Slice the apple very thinly, preferably with a mandoline slicer. Place the apple slices in a small bowl and cover with cold water with a pinch of salt dissolved in it. Let soak for 10 minutes. This prevents the apples from browning.
Mix the mustard, mayonnaise and honey together in a small bowl until completely combined. Cut the Brie into thin slices, then cut the slices into pieces that will fit neatly on the rolls.
Drain the apples and pat them very dry. Separate the rolls and split each in half. Spread a little honey mustard on both cut sides of each roll. Layer a slice of turkey, a few pieces of Brie and a few apple slices on the bottom half, then replace the top. Repeat with the remaining rolls.
The honey mustard can be made ahead. Do not assemble the sliders more than an hour before serving. Cover the platter with damp paper towels, then tightly with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Makes 12
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