Though salmon sandwiches seem to be ubiquitous at just about any afternoon tea, whenever I’m at afternoon tea with friends, I’m almost always dining with someone amongst them who doesn’t actually care for salmon.
As I happen to like it, that typically means there’s plenty of extra salmon sandwiches for me, usually even more than I could eat! So I thought it would be nice to find an alternative to salmon for the next time I have friends around for tea.
Real crab is one of those very rare treats that I would only splurge on for a most special occasion. But for me, this recipe really hits the spot.
My recipe for the crab salad starts with one from pastry chef Will Torrent from his excellent afternoon tea book, Afternoon Tea at Home. I’ve taken his crab mayonnaise recipe and changed it just a little for my taste.
The use of McCormick’s Old Bay seasoning is my addition to the recipe – if you’ve ever made a crab cake with the seasoning, you’ll know that it complements crab beautifully (with celery salt, seed, spices that include red and black pepper, paprika). I started with a teaspoon, but did add more to taste after it was mixed.
Crab Salad sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. of Old Bay seasoning
- 8 oz. white crab meat
- Sale and pepper to taste
- Arugula, spinach or leafy greens for sandwich
Directions
Put the mayonnaise in a bowl and mix with the lemon zest and juice, mustard, Old Bay seasoning and salt and black pepper. Mix to combine and taste, adding more seasoning as needed.Add the crab meat and gently stir to coat with the mayonnaise mixture.
Spoon the crab mixture on the bread of your choice, adding a little arugula, spinach or leafy greens to complete the sandwich.
For sandwich bread, I paired the crab salad with a nice rustic Italian bread that yes, I baked myself (recipe here)! Added a little arugula – or other greens would do as well.
And it’s going on my menu as an excellent salmon sandwich replacement next time I have the opportunity to serve tea!
Very Nearly Tea Time 