The Queen Elizabeth-Approved Way to Make Cucumber Sandwiches
If you're a fan of Bridgerton, you're probably waiting with bated breath for the other half of the season to drop on June 13. To keep themselves preoccupied until the drop, fans are gathering for fancy, Bridgerton-themed watch parties (sans corsets, thank you). And what better snack to serve than the actual Queen's favorite cucumber sandwiches? HRH herself, Elizabeth II, included one key ingredient that makes these sandwiches royal indeed: fresh mint.
Related: Host a Bridgerton Tea Party With This Pretty Appetizer From Teatime at Grosvenor Square
Why You Should Add Fresh Mint to Cucumber Sandwiches
Queen Elizabeth II famously added fresh mint to her cucumber sandwiches, making the basic but refreshing little bites absolutely pop with the addition of the cooling herb. Some home cooks online also posit another Royal secret to a crown jewel cucumber sandwich is to salt the cucumbers before adding them to the sandwiches. Whether or not Queen Elizabeth actually approved, salt is an excellent thing to sprinkle on the cukes as it draws out some of the moisture and brings out the vegetable's flavor.
Related: 52 Afternoon Tea Recipes and High Tea Menu Ideas That Will Make You Feel Like a Royal
How to Make Queen Elizabeth's Cucumber Sandwiches
Here's how to make Queen-approved cucumber sandwiches: grab some good-quality thick-sliced white bread and slather it with room-temperature butter. Peel a cucumber, slice it into paper-thin rounds and add the slices to a colander. Salt the slices generously and let them drain (set the colander in a bowl to catch the juices) for 10 to 15 minutes. Pat the cucumber slices dry with a paper towel, then layer them on the buttered bread. Top with some freshly ground black pepper and some chopped fresh mint (or a few shakes of dried mint if you don't have fresh). Cut off the crusts, then slice each sandwich in half. You can cut them into squares or rectangles, but we're fans of making an x-cut to create four triangles.
Stack your cute sandwiches on a platter, then sit back in the summer sun and snack like the royals do—pinkies-up optional.
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