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a plain plate of closed crustless whole-wheat finger sandwiches with a fine pink-and-white minced shrimp filling in pale crème fraîche dressing with tiny dill flecks, without whole shrimp, celery or garnish
Melissa Hart

Shrimp Tea Sandwiches

Steam the shrimp just until opaque, then cool them before chopping so the filling stays juicy without carrying warm cooking liquid into the dressing. A fine mince makes sense in a tea finger; large curved shrimp are awkward to cut through and tend to pull the bread apart. Horseradish and dill give the crème fraîche enough character that you don’t need a heavy mayonnaise dressing or a pile of celery. Spread the mixture in a level layer and keep the finished sandwiches cold, because their small size makes it easy to forget that the filling still needs the same care as a bowl of seafood salad.
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Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
  • 1/3 cup crème fraîche
  • 2 tsp prepared horseradish drained
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 16 thin slices soft whole-wheat sandwich bread

Method
 

  1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil under a steamer basket. Add shrimp, cover and steam for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until opaque and the thickest shrimp reach 145°F.
  2. Spread shrimp in a shallow container, cool for 5 minutes and refrigerate promptly for 30 minutes until cold. Blot away any collected liquid and chop the shrimp very finely.
  3. Stir crème fraîche, horseradish, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper together. Fold in chopped cold shrimp until lightly bound.
  4. Butter one face of every bread slice. Divide shrimp filling evenly among eight slices, spread to the corners and close with the remaining bread, buttered faces inward.
  5. Trim crusts and cut each sandwich into three fingers to make 24 pieces. Serve two per portion, keeping covered and refrigerated until serving the same day.