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a plain plate of closed crustless white milk-bread triangle sandwiches with a thin butter filling densely flecked with chopped dark-green watercress and very fine tan walnut crumbs, without egg salad or garnish
Melissa Hart

Watercress Tea Sandwiches

Watercress has enough peppery bite to carry a sandwich without egg salad underneath it, especially when the leaves are chopped into softened butter with finely ground toasted walnuts. Dry the greens well before chopping, since wet leaves make the butter difficult to spread evenly. Soft milk bread keeps the little triangles tender and lets the filling stay the main flavor. I’d keep the walnut pieces fine rather than chunky, because a large hard piece can tear a delicate triangle apart right where you want the cut edge to look neat.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup walnut halves
  • 3 cups loosely packed watercress leaves and tender tips washed and thoroughly dried
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 12 thin slices soft milk bread

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a small sheet pan for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant, then cool for 10 minutes and pulse into fine crumbs without making nut butter.
  2. Chop the dry watercress finely. Beat softened butter with salt and pepper, then fold in the greens and walnut crumbs until evenly distributed.
  3. Spread the mixture evenly over one face of all 12 bread slices, working gently so the soft crumb doesn’t tear. Pair the slices with their filled faces inward to make six sandwiches.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm the butter slightly. Trim crusts with a serrated knife and cut each sandwich diagonally in both directions.
  5. Yield 24 small triangles, two per serving. Keep covered and refrigerated until serving within 24 hours; let the portion being served stand for about 5 minutes so the butter loses its refrigerator hardness.