This is as English as it gets. High Tea is typically served between 4pm and 6pm, and it's a nice way to snack before dinner and also get a light caffeine kick. Usually it's served with cake or pastries, but I like my high tea with another English staple; the cucumber sandwich. It might sound simple, which it is, but it's very delicate, filling, and the perfect accompaniment to tea. Yesterday I stopped by my favorite patisserie in Palo Alto, called La Baguette (I think they recently opened one in Glendale) and got a loaf of white sandwich bread. It's unbelievably fresh, baked with delicate hands minutes before its sold, it's absolutely perfect for the sandwich.
The sandwich:
It's probably the easiest thing you'll ever make. Really the most important component is the bread. If you're all about gluten free, flax seed nonsense, you're never EVER going to make a proper cucumber sandwich. It has to be country-style white bread. Period. Not even sourdough will suffice. Crusts on, and stick it in the toaster. IMPORTANT: Do not toast all the way, it should still be soft with just a touch of crunch around the edges. You are not making morning toast. Next, butter each piece until fully coated, again, if watching the calories you don't have to slather it on there, a light layer will do. Slice the cucumbers not into perfectly round slices but into diagonal slices so they are easier to eat in between the bread. Lightly salt with coast sea salt and put on about two layers, then again take a few leaves of parsley, not too many and cover with the other piece of bread. Cut diagonally (although the traditional English way would be to cut straight down the middle but that's how I prefer it) and enjoy!
The English Tea:
I don't know why people are so scared by making a proper cup of English tea, they are very intimidated about it, because it has to be served and prepared a certain way but the truth being it's actually a very simple process. I lived in the UK for a year, and there's only one way to serve tea. They do not have an array of different teas to choose from at the store like we do over here, there's only one kind of tea and that's what they sell. To them, it's called 'tea' to us, it typically goes by the label 'English Breakfast'. It's basically light black tea. It's not bold, it's very mellow, but very good tasting. I brewed some Yorkshire Harrogate which I picked up while in the UK but honestly some Tazo 'Awake' or any brand of 'English Breakfast' will suffice. Let it sit, do not at sugar.
I don't know why people are so scared by making a proper cup of English tea, they are very intimidated about it, because it has to be served and prepared a certain way but the truth being it's actually a very simple process. I lived in the UK for a year, and there's only one way to serve tea. They do not have an array of different teas to choose from at the store like we do over here, there's only one kind of tea and that's what they sell. To them, it's called 'tea' to us, it typically goes by the label 'English Breakfast'. It's basically light black tea. It's not bold, it's very mellow, but very good tasting. I brewed some Yorkshire Harrogate which I picked up while in the UK but honestly some Tazo 'Awake' or any brand of 'English Breakfast' will suffice. Let it sit, do not at sugar.
The proper way to drink tea is how you take it once it's brewed. It's important to take tea with milk, not half and half, not heavy cream, and not skim...Milk and only milk. So have that at the ready, then a couple of sugar cubes, depending how much you prefer, you can always decline the sugar, but never the milk. Usually you would drink the tea out of a very small and delicate tea cup so watch it with how much sugar you put in so that it's not Southern Style Sweet Tea. Mix gently and enjoy. If you really want to get into character, pinky's out, tea spoon resting on the tea coaster, and nibble on, don't chew your sandwich.
Bon Appetite!
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