Salmon Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches are a classic teatime or snack food. Our delicious salmon cucumber sandwiches are easy to make and have a fantastic crunch. Most classic cucumber sandwiches are made with just cucumbers, bread and butter, but our version takes this classic preparation to another level by adding some mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, salmon and dill weed. We use canned salmon in our recipe for convenience; this type of salmon comes in pink and red, the first being less expensive but also less flavourful. Since there are so few ingredients in this dish, choosing a red sockeye canned salmon is worth the expense, as the richer flavour is what you want in this kind of sandwich of this kind. Keep an eye on the cucumbers as well and look for the thinner English type, usually individually wrapped at the store. With fewer seeds, they have more crunch and are less watery than their American counterpart. If you can't find English cucumbers, peel, seed and cut a regular cucumber in half.

1 (6 oz) can salmon, boneless, drained and flaked
½ cup English cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. plain full-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ tsp. dried dill, or 2 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
2-3 mini sandwich buns
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
16 pieces butter lettuce, or other soft lettuce

In a small bowl, combine the salmon, cucumbers, green onions, yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and dill. Mix gently but thoroughly and set aside.

Slice the crusts off of the sandwich bread and cut each bread slice into quarters, either squares or triangles.

Carefully spread a thin layer of softened butter on the cut sides of the sandwich buns, or on the small squared pieces of sliced bread.

Place small pieces of lettuce on each side of the bun, or slices of bread. Each sandwich should have two pieces of lettuce.

Spread ⅛ of the salmon mixture on one of the sides of the sandwich and close with another side of lettuce and buttered bread, pressing gently. Repeat the process with the remaining filling.

Enjoy these sandwiches at teatime, snack time, or whenever your heart desires.

Here is a quick guide to make the salmon cucumber sandwiches part of a larger full tea spread:

Other small cold sandwiches make a beautiful spread. Serve sandwiches made with cheese, chicken, egg salad, beef and pork to round out the selection nicely. Think of four to six small sandwiches per person, in addition to the pastries and patisserie selection.

Keep all the food small in size for the selection to look delicate and elegant. For other savoury treats go with crostini, mini quiches, or cubed pieces of a frittata.

Pick subtle sweets like vanilla tea cakes, hobnobs, lemon pastry creams, or mini muffins.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook’s Notes:

• You can serve these sandwiches immediately or refrigerate them, tightly covered, for up to an hour. The butter will prevent the soft filling from softening the bread, but past one hour the sandwiches will lose their crunchy quality and firmness.

Substitutions for Special Diets:

• If you or one of your guest chooses not to or can't eat dairy, keeps a gluten-free diet, or has an egg allergy, here's how to make this recipe friendly to those needs:
• For a dairy-free version, use vegan butter instead of butter and replace the plain yogurt with unsweetened soy yogurt.
• For a gluten-free diet, use gluten-free bread or spread the filling on rice or corn crackers.
• For an egg allergy, use vegan mayo or skip it altogether using two Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil instead.