Sarra Ina Garten’s tea sandwiches are elegant, make-ahead finger sandwiches from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. She makes two kinds: smoked salmon with herb butter on 7-grain bread, and turkey with scallion cream cheese and basil on raisin-nut bread. Both make 32 small triangles and serve 8 to 10.
Ina says tea sandwiches “are wonderful for a cocktail party or an afternoon tea” and that they “can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated, covered with damp paper towels and wrapped in plastic to keep them moist.” She notes that when she puts out platters with several types, the smoked salmon version is always the first to go.
The key to clean tea sandwiches is chilling them before you cut. Ina assembles the full sandwiches, wraps the sheet pan in plastic, and refrigerates until the butter or cream cheese is very cold and firm. Then she cuts off the crusts and slices into triangles. Warm filling means ragged edges and filling that squeezes out.
Ina Garten Tea Sandwiches Recipe
Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes120
kcalTwo classic finger sandwiches from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, designed for platters at cocktail parties and afternoon teas. Assemble them the night before, chill, slice into neat triangles the day of, and serve cold.
Ingredients
- For the Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches
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1/2 lb (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
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1 tablespoon minced scallions (white and green parts)
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1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
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1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
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1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 loaf dense 7-grain or health bread, unsliced
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8 slices smoked salmon
- For the Turkey Tea Sandwiches (makes 32):
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3/4 lb (340g) cream cheese, at room temperature
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1/2 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
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1 loaf dense raisin-nut bread, unsliced
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8 thin slices fresh or smoked turkey breast
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Fresh basil leaves
Directions
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Make the herb butter (salmon version): Combine the butter, garlic, scallions, dill, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until mixed but do not whip.
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Make the scallion cream cheese (turkey version): Combine the cream cheese and scallions in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Do not whip.
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Slice the bread: Have the store slice each loaf lengthwise on a meat slicer into 1/4-inch-thick slices. If that’s not possible, slice crosswise with a very sharp knife.
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Assemble the salmon sandwiches: Lay out 8 slices of bread and spread each with a thin layer of herb butter. Place a single layer of smoked salmon on 4 of the slices. Top with the remaining 4 slices, butter side down.
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Assemble the turkey sandwiches: Lay out 8 slices of bread and spread each with a thin layer of scallion cream cheese. Place a single layer of turkey on 4 slices, trimming to fit. Scatter fresh basil leaves on top of the turkey. Top with the remaining 4 slices, cream cheese side down.
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Chill: Place all sandwiches on a baking sheet, wrap tightly with plastic, and refrigerate until the butter and cream cheese are very cold and firm.
- Cut into triangles: Place sandwiches on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, cut off all crusts. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise, then cut each half diagonally twice to make 8 small triangles per sandwich. Serve chilled.
FAQs
Why does Ina chill the sandwiches before cutting?
Cold butter and cream cheese hold the bread and filling together like glue. If you cut them at room temperature, the filling smears and the layers slide apart.
Chilling also firms up the bread so you get clean, sharp edges when you trim the crusts. This is the difference between tea sandwiches that look professional and ones that look like you made them in a rush.
Can you make these tea sandwiches a day ahead?
Yes, and Ina specifically says so. Assemble and chill them, then cover with damp paper towels and wrap the whole tray tightly in plastic.
The damp towels are the trick. They keep the bread from drying out overnight without making it soggy. Cut the sandwiches into triangles right before serving, not the night before, so the exposed edges stay fresh.
Why does Ina use a single layer of salmon?
She says a single layer keeps the sandwiches from sliding apart. Two layers of salmon creates a slippery surface between the bread, and the halves separate when you try to cut them.
One layer is also enough flavor because the herb butter does the heavy lifting. The dill, scallion, garlic, and lemon in the butter complement the salmon so you don’t need to pile it on.
What bread should you use for tea sandwiches?
Ina uses Eli’s Health Bread for the salmon version and Eli’s Raisin Pecan Bread for the turkey version. Both are dense and sturdy, which is what you need for thin slices that won’t tear.
Any dense-crumbed bread works. Avoid soft sandwich bread because it compresses when you spread the filling and falls apart when you cut the crusts off. Ask your bakery to slice the loaf lengthwise on their meat slicer for long, thin sheets that give you more triangles per sandwich.
What other fillings work for Ina-style tea sandwiches?
Ina keeps her tea sandwiches to two or three varieties per platter. The smoked salmon and turkey versions are her go-to pair from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
For a third option, try cucumber with herb butter using the same butter from the salmon recipe. Peel and thinly slice the cucumber, salt the slices for 10 minutes to draw out moisture, then pat completely dry before layering.
The rule is one spread, one filling, and one fresh herb per sandwich. Keep it simple so each variety tastes distinct on the platter
