Downton Abbey and English Tea Sandwiches

I came to the Downton Abbey craze a little late. While the rest of America swooned over this English period drama about the lives and loves of an upper class family and their servants, I remained blissfully un-addicted. That was until a few weeks ago - while recovering from a late summer cold, I started watching the series on Netflix, and instantly got addicted.

Like everyone else, I was intrigued by the plot, the character development, and the mysterious Mr. Bates. But what no one had told me was that Downtown Abbey is a foodie's dream - there's fancy, multi-coursed dinners to be hosted, filled with soups, roasted fowl, and colorful desserts eaten with tiny silver spoons. Each episode is filled with all sorts of  delectable English upper-class dishes that are seen but not often discussed outright, leaving me, the food obsessed viewer, to imagine how these dishes could possibly taste.

And let's not forget the English teas served on the show - scones with clotted cream, delicately cut sandwiches, biscuits (cookies for you American folks), bite-sized tea cakes, strong cups of English tea sweetened with cream and sugar.

Watching Downton Abbey made me grateful that I wasn't a single, young woman living in the early 1900s, where my fortunes and future would be dependent on whom I was born to and whom I was given to in marriage. I found that the girl in me wanted to dress up and go to the ball. But most of all, watching Downton Abbey left me hungry for an English tea.

I love everything about a good English tea - the crisp table clothes and napkins, the three-tiered serving platter that they bring to your table, the delicate china cups and saucers, the sound of spoons clicking as you stir the cream and sugar into a cup of hot, black tea, and, of course, the dainty scones, cakes, and tea sandwiches.

I think what so captivates me about an English tea service is how it's meant to be slowly delighted over. It feels almost sacrilegious to scarf down those teeny-tiny cakes and chug down the cup of tea when you think about how carefully everything's been put together. So you're left to slow down, savor, and just enjoy.

The pace of an English tea gives room and space for a similar slow delight with whom you're enjoying the English tea. It's a time to pause, catch up, and connect about what's going on.

I have a tradition - every time I go back home to visit, I take my sister out to an English High Tea. Because I live clear across the other side of the world from my sister, this almost annual tradition of English High tea gives us a chance to connect face-to-face in a way that email and Skype calls just can't do. I love this time together away from the rest of the family where we can enjoy each other's company as adult siblings. Over the years and multiple cups of tea, we've talked about being women, being daughters, and being mothers (or in my case, wanting to be a mother). The topics of conversation have changed over the years, but the quality has only gotten better.

I used to go straight for the English scones with preserves and clotted cream at every English tea, using the tea sandwiches as a palate-cleanser for the next round of sweets. But I've come to appreciate the savory English Tea Sandwich.

The English Tea Sandwich consists of two pieces of bread, either white or brown, and filled with a variety of savory fillings such as cucumber, chicken salad, egg salad, or smoke salmon. The crusts are cut off, and the sandwiches are then cut diagonally into four triangles, or into three rectangular "finger" sandwiches. The "rule" with English Tea Sandwiches is that they are supposed to be small enough that you'd be able to eat one in two, at the most, three bites.

Inspired by Downton Abbey, I spent a Sunday afternoon crafting two English tea sandwich fillings. One of them is a take on the classic cucumber sandwich, the other is a slightly sweet and spicy curried chicken salad sandwich. Both are simple, no-cook fillings that can be prepared even on a hot, summer afternoon.

May the idea of an afternoon English Tea inspire you to take a pause, call a friend, and find some time together to connect over something delicious.

Cucumber Sandwiches with Cheese Dill Spread
The following will make approximately enough spread for 3-4 sandwiches. One sandwich can be sliced into four quarters, or three finger sandwiches.

Ingredients
2 tbsp of cottage cheese
2 tsp of dill
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
Slices of bread (white of soft whole wheat)

1. Process the cottage cheese, dill, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth.
2. Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto each slice of bread.
3. Place 4-6 slices of cucumber on one slice of bread, place the other slice of bread on the top, press gently.
4. With a sharp knife, slice off the crusts and then cut diagonally into four triangles, or cut into three finger sandwiches.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches
The following will make approximately 6-8 sandwiches. One sandwich can be sliced into four quarters, or three finger sandwiches.

Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mango
3 tsp of curry Powder
1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken
1 cup celery
1/4 cup golden raisins
Salt and pepper to taste
Slices of bread (white, or soft whole wheat)

1. Combine mayo, mango and curry powder in a food processor until smooth. Set aside 2 tablespoons of mayo mixture.
2. Chop celery and chicken into 1/4 inch cubes.
3. Mix remaining mayo, celery, chicken and raisins.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
5. If you have time, refrigerate the chicken salad for 30 mins. This allows the flavors to absorb.
6. To assemble sandwiches, thinly spread a small amount of mayo mixture on each slice of bread. Take 1/4 cup of the chicken salad and spread over one slice of bread. Don't overfill the sandwiches. Add the other slice of bread on the top and press gently. With a sharp knife, slice off the crusts and then cut diagonally into four triangles, or cut into three finger sandwiches.