Mensam Mundum – World Table: A proper English tea
- Esther Oertel
- Posted On
Find a pretty tablecloth, get out your best china and put on your most elegant hat! Having a proper English tea at home is a fun diversion while being sheltered in place and it can also make for a very special Mother’s Day celebration.
Other than water, tea is the most ubiquitous drink in the world. Its consumption easily equals all the other manufactured drinks on the planet put together – that is, coffee, chocolate, sodas and alcoholic beverages.
In England, tea is both a drink and a meal. The British love their tea, with over 165 million cups of it being served there each year. That’s nearly three cups per day per British citizen.
Tea became popular in Britain in the 1660s via the marriage of King Charles II to a Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza, who brought her habit of drinking tea to the British royal court.
While tea had been previously introduced to Britain, it was not yet a popular beverage, perhaps because at the time it was extremely expensive. (Some aficionados even kept their tea under lock and key in specially made tea chests.)
While in her native Portugal, Princess Catherine regularly enjoyed the beverage and continued doing so after marrying and moving to England. The people followed suit and tea remains beloved in Britain to this day.
It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ (that is, tea served with food) came about. As is true with much historical trivia, there are conflicting stories as to how the tradition of English tea came to be.
One story tells of a duchess who found it difficult making it through the long stretch between the light lunch and late supper that were traditional in England at that time.
She asked her servants to bring her sweets and tea in her chambers in the mid-afternoon and enjoyed it so much that it became a daily event. The tradition spread and is now part of English culture.
Another version is that the English brought the Chinese tradition of dim sum, small portions of food served with tea, back to England. Dim sum originated in the Chinese region of Canton, where rural farmers would go to tea houses after working in the fields.
In Cantonese, going to dim sum is usually known as going to “drink tea.” The drinking of tea is as important to dim sum as the food.
Either way, the tradition remains intact today, and having tea is a mainstay of British culture.
In today’s Britain, there are three times that tea (meaning the beverage along with food) is taken.
“Elevenses” is tea and a light snack (say, scones, muffins or biscuits) taken in the late morning during a break from one’s work. Though a relatively new custom – it likely popped up in the 20th century - it’s well ingrained in British society. (If it sounds familiar, it might be because it was mentioned in “The Lord of the Rings” as a hobbit’s third meal of the day.)
“Afternoon tea” is what we typically think of when referring to an English tea. Taken in the afternoon between 2 and 4 p.m., it’s known for temptations such as scones, dainty crustless sandwiches, cookies and the like. Though the food presented may be abundant, afternoon tea is intended to be a light meal.
Afternoon tea emerged as a social event for the well-heeled sometime in the 1830s or 1840s. During the Victorian era, people dressed for the occasion, often donning gowns, gloves and hats.
Though things have relaxed a bit, etiquette surrounding afternoon tea was initially quite strict, with rules on such things as how to handle one’s spoon after stirring milk into tea.
“High tea,” despite its name, originated with the lower classes. This was a hearty meal taken immediately after work because often there wasn’t the luxury of a break for a midday meal. Fare such as cheeses, meats and pies were consumed to sate hunger and served as one’s supper.
Some regions have their own form of afternoon tea, such as the now-famous Devonshire Cream Tea, which consists of scones, strawberry jam and the vital ingredient, Devon clotted cream.
As to the beverage, true tea is only from the plant species Camellia sinensis.
The type of tea – whether it’s white, yellow, green, oolong, or black – depends on the processing it goes through after it’s picked.
Tea leaves begin to wilt and oxidize shortly after picking if not dried quickly. During this process, the leaves turn progressively darker as the chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This is known as fermentation, though it’s not a true fermentation caused by microorganisms; rather, it’s enzyme oxidation.
White tea is comprised of wilted leaves that are not oxidized. Yellow tea is the same but is allowed to turn yellow.
Green tea is not oxidized either but is made from unwilted leaves. Oolong tea is wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized, while black tea is wilted, sometimes bruised, and fully oxidized.
Herbal “teas” are more correctly called herbal infusions or tisanes as they don’t contain true tea leaves; rather, they’re made with flowers, fruits, or herbs.
If your mother is with you while sheltering in place, hosting a traditional English tea on Mother’s Day is a special way to give the gift of time to her, not to mention some well-deserved pampering along with a delectable meal.
If not, a gift certificate for a future tea holds promise for an experience to be cherished later.
A traditional afternoon tea (one that is more of a meal than a snack) typically consists of a scone course (think lemon curd and Devonshire cream with scones), an appetizer course (for example, cucumber tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off), and a dessert course (such as shortbread cookies or a trifle).
The recipes included in today’s column are those I created for an English tea culinary class. Each course is represented – scone, savory and dessert – and can serve as a template for your tea or as inspiration for your own ideas.
Most of all, enjoy! As C. S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series, said, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
Lavender cream scones
You or a friend may have a lavender bush that can be harvested; if not, culinary lavender is available online or at specialty stores.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons dried lavender buds
At least 1 cup heavy cream
~ Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
~ Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl.
~ Add lavender and blend to distribute evenly.
~ Gradually add just enough cream to form a soft dough.
~ Knead lightly on a floured board, handling the dough gently to retain the air needed for the scones to rise.
~ Roll out to a ½ to ¾ inch thickness and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter or sharp knife.
~ Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving a ½ inch space between them.
~ Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 8 large or 16 small scones.
~ Serve with lemon curd and/or lavender butter (recipes below).
Note: These scones may be made without the lavender, or with orange zest and cranberries in place of it, or with finely chopped walnuts.
Lemon curd
Unused lemon curd may be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a week.
3 eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
Juice and zest (grated rind, yellow part only) of two lemons
~ Beat the eggs into the melted butter.
~ Stir in the sugar and beat until thoroughly combined.
~ Add the lemon juice and zest gradually.
~ Cook in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until thickened, stirring constantly. Allow to cool before using.
Lemon curd may be used atop scones, crumpets, toast, English muffins or cookies. It may also be used to fill tartlets or as a filling for layer cakes.
Lavender butter
Frozen, the butter stays fresh tasting for about a month. In the refrigerator, it keeps for about a week.
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon honey or lavender honey
1 tablespoon lavender, finely ground in spice grinder or coffee grinder
Place the butter, honey, and lavender in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until just combined. Transfer to a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Roll into a 1” wide log. Refrigerate or freeze.
Curried shrimp sandwiches with lemon-dill butter
These tasty bites may also be served as a sandwich. If so, cut off bread crusts and spread lemon-dill butter on both bread slices, or, if open-faced, on one. Thin slices of English cucumber may be added.
½ pound bay shrimp, rinsed and drained well
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (typically about or a bit less than ½ lemon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely diced fresh red pepper
Curry to taste (begin with ¼ teaspoon)
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon-Dill Butter (recipe follows)
1 French bread or sourdough baguette
Sprigs of fresh dill for garnish
~ Thinly slice baguette and spread slices with lemon-dill butter.
~ Spread baguette slices on a baking sheet and, using broiler, allow butter to melt and slices to crisp and brown a bit.
~ Remove from broiler and cool.
~ When ready to serve, spread a layer of shrimp mixture on bread.
~ If desired, garnish each piece with a sprig or sprinkling of fresh dill.
Lemon-dill butter
This compound butter is also tasty on noodles, salmon or asparagus.
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (typically about or a bit less than ½ lemon)
Salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar
~ Pulse all ingredients (except salt & pepper) in a food processor using a quick on/off pulse until mixture is well blended.
~ Season with salt & pepper to taste and pulse to blend.
~ Makes about ¾ cups.
~ Store in an airtight container in fridge for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Puff pastry swirls
These savory appetizers are festive and colorful.
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (approximate)
1 – 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
6 mushrooms, stems removed, and diced
1 medium shallot, diced
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
Roasted red bell pepper (or a fresh red bell pepper in small dice)
1 egg, beaten
~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
~ Melt butter in pan and add diced shallots. Sauté until they begin to soften and then add mushrooms. Sauté for another minute or so.
~ Add spinach and walnuts and stir to combine. (If using fresh bell pepper, add to mixture.) Cook to warm through.
~ Add salt and pepper to taste. Set pan aside.
~ Roll out puff pastry sheet on parchment paper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pastry.
~ Spread spinach mixture over pastry.
~ If using roasted pepper, spread strips over spinach to add a touch of red.
~ Roll up jelly-roll fashion slice into 20 – ½ inch slices. Lay them on parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and brush with egg.
~ Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Shortbread cookies
Shortbread, a rich, tender and crumbly cookie (called a biscuit in Ireland and the British Isles), originated in Scotland.
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet cream butter at room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ Whisk flour and salt together; set aside.
~ Beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
~ Add the sugar and beat until smooth.
~ Beat in the vanilla extract.
~ Gently stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
~ Flatten dough into disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate to chill for at least an hour.
~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle of oven. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
~ On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick circle.
~ Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter.
~Place on the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for 15 minutes, which allows the cookies to retain their shape.
~ Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.
~ Cool on a wire rack.
Makes about 20 cookies, depending on size of cookie cutter.
All recipes by Esther Oertel.
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.