Strawberry Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings tea sandwiches

Calories 141

Author Margaret Bose Johnson

Ingredients

for the dressing:

½ cup (110 g) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or basil) or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poppy seeds, optional

for the filling:

2 cups (300 g) diced cooked chicken from a rotisserie chicken
1 cup (140 g) diced fresh strawberries
½ cup (60 g) finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely snipped chives or sliced green onions

to make the sandwiches:

10 slices thinly sliced firm white bread, gluten-free if necessary
softened salted butter, for spreading on the bread
long chive strands to tie decoratively around each sandwich, optional

Instructions

In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt, pepper, and poppy seeds (if using) to make the dressing.
Chop or dice the chicken breast and strawberries into pea-sized pieces. Add them to the dressing along with the finely chopped celery and chives.
Gently fold the salad ingredients into the dressing.
Lay out the bread slices and generously butter one side of each slice (this forms a barrier to keep the bread from getting soggy).
Divide the filling among half of the slices of bread and spread it evenly, leaving about a ¼-inch border, since the crusts will be cut off. Top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.
At this point, you can trim and slice the sandwiches to serve immediately or wrap them tightly with cling wrap and chill them for several hours or overnight to make them slice more neatly.
Using a long, serrated bread knife, hold each sandwich flat and trim off the crusts using a gentle back-and-forth sawing motion. Cut each sandwich into 3 rectangular finger sandwiches (short and wide, rather than long and skinny).
*For a pretty touch, you can tie each sandwich with a long chive strand. If the chives don't tie neatly, blanch them for 10 seconds in boiling water, then dip them in cold water and blot them dry.
Makes 15 tea sandwiches.

Notes

After cutting the sandwiches, cover them with a well-wrung-out damp tea towel until serving time (to keep the bread from drying out). Chill them in the refrigerator until needed.

For an afternoon tea, serve 2-3 types of finger sandwiches or savouries, and count on about 2 sandwiches of each type per person.

If using chicken you've poached or roasted yourself, increase the salt to ½ teaspoon.

Nutrition