Barnyard Trio Tea Sandwiches

Breast of Chicken Rounds

 

Yield:  12 round tea sandwiches

 

Ingredients:

 

4 cups cold water

 

¼ cup plain salt

 

4 cups chicken stock

 

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

 

½ cup mayonnaise

 

1 tablespoon minced shallot

 

1 teaspoon snipped dill weed

 

1/2 teaspoon fresh, strained lemon juice

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

 

24 ¼ – 3/8” thick slices of white bread

 

1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

 

12+ thin slices of cantaloupe, rind removed

 

 

Steps:

1. Combine cold water and ¼ cup salt in a bowl.
2. Add chicken breasts.
3. Cover and place in icebox overnight.
4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, shallots, dill, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt.
5. Cover and place in icebox overnight.
6. Drain and rinse chicken breasts.
7. Bring chicken stock to a boil.
8. Add tarragon.
9. Add chicken breasts.
10. Bring water to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the breasts are cooked through (165°F.).
11. Remove from hot water and chill until cold.
12. Cut 2” rounds from each slice of bread with a cookie cutter. Reserve leftover bread for other recipes.
13. Cover 1 side of round of bread lightly with butter.
14. Thinly slice chicken in rounds.
15. Cover the buttered side of each round with the chilled mayonnaise spread.
16. Top the mayonnaise spread with slices of cucumber.
17. Top cucumber slices with a round of chicken.
18. Top chicken with cantaloupe slices.
19. Top with a piece of bread, spread-side down.
20. If serving later in the day, cover with a moist tea towel and place in the ice box or plate, garnish and serve immediately.

 

 

Chicken Salad Triangles

 

Yield: 16 triangles

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Sauce:

 

2 tablespoons mayonnaise,

 

1 tablespoon cream cheese

 

1 tablespoon minced shallot

 

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

 

1 teaspoon raw honey

 

¼ teaspoon lemon juice

 

1/8 teaspoon salt

 

1/8 teaspoon pepper (to taste)

 

 

1 cup shredded poached chicken breast

 

4 ¼ – 3/8” thick slices of sourdough bread

 

1 bunch watercress, washed and placed in a moist towel

 

 

Garnish:

 

Parsley sprigs

 

 

Steps:

1. Stir cream cheese with a fork until smooth.
2. Add mayonnaise and stir until smooth.
3. Add shallots, dry mustard, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Add chicken to sauce. Chill in ice box overnight.
5. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
6. Trim the crusts from the bread.
7. Cut each slice of bread into four equal squares.
8. Cut each square into 2 triangles.
9. Remove watercress leaves from the stems.
10. Arrange the watercress leaves in a single layer on top of half of the buttered triangles of bread.
11. Spread a layer of the chicken salad on top of the watercress leaves.
12. Top the chicken salad layer with a triangle of bread, butter side down.
13. If not serving immediately, cover with a moist tea towel and chill.
14. When ready, plate and top with a sprig of parsley.
15. Serve immediately.

 

 

Fruity Chicken Salad Rolls

 

Yield: 20 sandwiches

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup minced poached chicken breast

 

1/3 seedless red grapes, roughly chopped

 

1/4 cup cream cheese

 

1/4 cup mayonnaise

 

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 

Pinch salt

 

Dash pepper

 

1/2 medium apple, peeled and chopped

 

3 tablespoons minced walnuts, toasted

 

20 miniature croissants or rolls

 

20 medium-sized spinach leaves, stems removed

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

 

 

Steps:

 

1. Stir the cream cheese with a fork until smooth.
2. Add mayonnaise and stir until smooth.   
3. Add apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Stir until combined and smooth.  Set aside.
5. Place chicken, grapes, apple, and walnuts in a bowl.
6. Add mayonnaise spread and stir until combined.
7. Split each croissant in half lengthwise.
8. Butter each croissant top and bottom.
9. Place a leaf of spinach on the buttered bottom of the croissant.
10. Place a tablespoon of chicken salad on top of the spinach leaf.
11. Cover the chicken salad with the buttered top of the croissant.
12. If not serving immediately, cover with a moist tea towel.
13. When ready, plate, and serve.

 

 

Ham Salad Tea Rectangles

 

Yield: 16 strips

 

 

Ingredients:

 

½ pound boneless cooked ham (preferably sweet (sugar, maple sugar, etc.) cured rather than salt or smoke cured), trimmed of fat and minced

 

2 tablespoons crumbled hard-boiled egg

 

2 tablespoons minced celery

 

1 tablespoon minced green onion

 

¼ cup minced gherkins

 

1/4 cup mayonnaise

 

3/4 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard

 

½ teaspoon lemon juice

 

Pinch of salt

 

Pinch of pepper

 

Pieces of green leaf lettuce, large veins removed

 

8 slices of seedless rye bread

 

 

Garnish:

 

Thin rings cut from green onion tops

 

 

Steps:

1. Combine ham, egg, celery, green onion and gherkins.
2. Add mayonnaise and Dijon mustard
3. Add salt (taste first, the amount of salt will depend on the saltiness of the ham) and pepper to taste
4. Cover and chill in the ice box overnight.
5. Butter each slice of rye bread on one side.
6. Remove crusts.
7. Cover half of the slices of bread with a layer of lettuce.
8. Spread a layer of ham salad on top of the lettuce.
9. Place a slice of bread, butter side down, on top of the ham salad. Press gently.
10. Cut each large sandwich from top to bottom into four rectangles.
11. If not serving immediately, cover with a moist tea towel.
12. When ready, plate, garnish and serve.

 

 

Creamed Egg Ovals

 

Yield: 12-14 tea sandwiches

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 jumbo eggs (approximately ½ cup chopped)

 

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

 

1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

 

1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard

 

1 teaspoon fresh dill, snipped

 

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, snipped

 

Pinch of salt

 

Freshly ground white pepper

 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

 

24-48 1/4-3/8” thick slices French bread

 

1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline

 

 

Garnish:

 

24-28 round gherkin slices

 

 

Steps:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan, with lid, large enough to hold them and water that reaches one inch above the eggs.
2. Add water to one inch above the eggs.
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Cover the saucepan with the lid and turn off the heat.
5. Allow the eggs to continue to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Drain the hot water from the eggs.
7. Fill the saucepan with cold water.
8. When the eggs can be handled, peel the eggs.
9. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
10. Break up the yolks with a fork until they are like pieces of sand.
11. Mince the egg whites.
12. Combine egg yolks and whites. There should be approximately 1 cup of egg.
13. Stir the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth.
14. Slowly add mayonnaise, one teaspoon (3 in total) at a time, and stir until each addition is smooth and fully incorporated.
15. Add mustard and thoroughly incorporate with a fork.
16. The mixture should have some texture and should not be a paste.
17. Add dill, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate.
18. Butter one side of each slice of French bread.
19. Cover half of the slices of buttered bread with a layer of cucumber slices.
20. Spread the egg salad on top of the cucumber slices.
21. Place the remaining slices of bread on top of the egg salad with the butter side down.
22. Cover with a moist towel until ready to serve.
23. When ready to serve, plate and garnish with 2 slices of gherkin, arranged as if a butterfly on the wing and placed atop the top of the sandwich.  It may be necessary to make a small slit in the bread to place the bottom end of the “wings.”

 

 

Egg on Watercress Squares  

 

Yield: 8 squares

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 egg

 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

 

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

 

Salt (to taste)

 

Pepper (to taste)

 

1/8 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

 

4 ¼ -3/8” thick slices of white bread

 

1 bunch watercress leaves, washed, dried. stems removed

 

 

Garnish:

 

Fresh parsley sprigs

 

 

Steps:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan, with lid, large enough to hold them and water that reaches one inch above the eggs.
2. Add water to one inch above the eggs.
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Cover the saucepan with the lid and turn off the heat.
5. Allow the eggs to continue to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Drain the hot water from the eggs.
7. Fill the saucepan with cold water.
8. When the eggs can be handled, peel the eggs.
9. Use a fork to mash the eggs into small pieces.
10. Add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper and paprika.
11. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
12. Place a layer of watercress leaves on top of the butter on 2 slices of bread.
13. Spread the egg salad over the watercress.
14. Top the egg salad topped slices with the remaining 2 slices of bread, butter side down.
15. Remove the crusts.
16. Slice each large sandwich into four squares.
17. Cover with a moist towel until ready to serve.
18. When ready to serve, plate and garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley.

 

 

Curried Egg Squares

 

Yield: 24 tea sandwich squares

 

 

Ingredients:

 

3 eggs

 

3 tablespoons celery, minced

 

3 tablespoons red onion

 

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

 

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice

 

1/4 cup mayonnaise.

 

1 teaspoon curry powder 

 

6 tablespoons spicy mango chutney

 

 

Garnish:

 

Celery leaves

 

 

Steps:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan, with lid, large enough to hold them and water that reaches one inch above the eggs.
2. Add water to one inch above the eggs.
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Cover the saucepan with the lid and turn off the heat.
5. Allow the eggs to continue to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Drain the hot water from the eggs.
7. Fill the saucepan with cold water.
8. When the eggs can be handled, peel the eggs.
9. Use a fork to mash the eggs into small pieces.
10. Add mayonnaise, celery, red onion, cilantro leaves and lemon juice.
11. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
12. Spread 1 tablespoon of mango chutney over the butter on half of the slices.
13. Spread egg salad on top of the mango chutney.
14. Top each large sandwich with a plain slice of buttered bread, buttered side down.
15. Trim the crust from the sandwiches.
16. Cut each sandwich into 4 squares.
17. Cover with a moist towel until ready to serve.
18. When ready to serve, plate and garnish with a sprig of celery leaves.