Now that we have covered the basics, here is how to do your own Downton Abbey Tea Party. Dine like the Dowager with elegance and style. When I watched Downtown Abbey I had serious tea set envy. Let’s start with six people.
Table supplies
- 6 cups and saucers
- 6 small teaspoons. Place one spoon on each saucer.
- Milk and sugar bowl – I prefer whole-fat milk for tea. It is a much creamier taste
- six sandwich plates
- 3-tiered cake stand or three china dinner plates to serve the food
- English loose-leaf tea – I bring mine from Europe. You can buy it online if you cannot get it locally.
- China teapot
- Tea strainer
- Two small dishes for jam and cream
- Tablecloth and napkins – You can also pick these up from Goodwill.
Sandwiches – Bottom Tier
- Soft White sandwich bread
- Softened butter
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 pound of chopped chicken breast
- 1 cup of crushed walnuts
- Mayonnaise
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- Chopped chives
Please prepare your sandwiches if you need them and cover them immediately with clingfilm. But do not make them more than an hour or two before your guests arrive. Stale sandwiches are an absolute no-no.
Chicken and walnut sandwiches
- Chop the chicken, add the walnuts, salt, and pepper, and bind with mayonnaise. Butter the bread. Spread the chicken between two slices. Remove the crusts with a very sharp bread knife. You do not need to remove all the crust, just the rougher parts. Cut the sandwich in halves. Cover immediately.
Egg and chive sandwiches
- Mash the eggs in a bowl; add salt and pepper, chopped chives, and mayonnaise to bind. Butter the bread and spread the egg mix between the slices, cutting the same way as the chicken sandwich.
Cucumber Sandwiches
- Peel the cucumber. Slice thinly and place between the buttered slices of bread. Finish as before. Try to make your sandwiches look uniform; they look great when plated if they are roughly the same size.
Scones – Middle tier
- Serve with strawberry jam or lemon curd and clotted cream. If you cannot get clotted cream, fresh whipped cream will work but do not use the canned cream.
Dessert – Top Tier
Chocolate Strawberries
- 1 pound of large Strawberries
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips or melting chocolate
- Wash and dry your strawberries. Leave the stems on the strawberries, just to plump them up a little. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute. Check to see if you can stir it to a soft, creamy melt. Put it back one minute at a time until you have smooth melted chocolate. Do not overheat.
- Dip the strawberries in the chocolate and place each on a tray covered with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator to set. I have also decorated the strawberries with white melted chocolate and sprinkles, but plain works great. Take the strawberries out of the fridge at least 1 hour before you serve to allow the chocolate to soften; otherwise, when your guests bite into the strawberry, the chocolate will crack and make a giant chocolate mess.
Chocolate Strawberries and fresh fruit
Tea – The most important part
This is the last thing you will do
- It can be difficult to find authentic English breakfast tea in the US but never fear Amazon is here authenic brands are Yorkshire Tea, PG Tips (not the best brand but authentic) Irish breakfast tea is the same maybe a little richer and stronger. Barry’s is my favorite. You can also buy tea from FoodIreland.com It will cost more than Amazon but you have the satisfaction of supporting a small business.
- Make it fresh with boiling water. Rinse the pot with the boiling water. Add about 1.5 dessert spoons of tea to the pot. Pour the boiling water into the top. Stir the tea, but do not leave it to “brew” as it mars the flavor, and it will have a stewed taste. Serve right away. Pour the tea through a strainer. It would be best if you had placed everything else on the table by now.
Tea the real amber nectar!
