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Regency Recipes

Regency Sandwiches

Sheridan Parsons

Sheridan Parsons

— 2 min read
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Regency Sandwiches

These savoury, bite-sized sandwiches feature a rich, punchy spread made from sharp cheese, creamy butter, and tangy mustard. Layered with thinly sliced ham and pressed between soft bread, they are quick to prepare and make an elegant, flavourful addition to any picnic or party platter.

Original advice:

"These are a convenient and economical, but at the same time, a rather suspicious order of culinary preparations, especially in hotels and public gardens; they are therefore getting into disrepute. Sandwiches may be made of ham or tongue, sliced, grated, or scraped; of German or common pork sausage; cold salted rump; anchovies, shrimps, sprats; potted cheese; or hard yolks of egg and Parmesan or Cheshire cheese pounded with butter. Forcemeat, and potted meat of various kinds, cold poultry, with whatever seasonings of mustard, curry powder, etc. etc., are most suitable to the meat with which the sandwich is made. The only particular directions that can be given are, to have them fresh made, and to cut the bread in neat, even slices, of any shapes that are fancied, and not too large nor thick."

Advice taken from “The Cook and Housewife’s Manual” by Christian Isobel Johnstone, 1828.

Christian Johnstone follows up with specific instructions for a cheese sandwich. she chose two particularly tangy cheeses. Cheshire cheese is one of Britain’s oldest and most popular territorial cow's milk cheeses, known for its dense, moist, crumbly texture and mild, salty flavour. It is produced in white, red, and blue varieties, but the white is the most traditional and best known in the UK.

Original recipe for a Cheese Sandwich:

Take two-thirds grated Parmesan or Cheshire cheese, and one of butter, and a small proportion of made mustard. Pound them in a mortar. Cover slices of bread with a little of this, and over it lay thin slices of ham, or any cured meat. Cover with another slice of bread, press them together, and cut this into mouthfuls. Observation: An anchovy may be pounded with the mixture.

Recipe taken from “The Cook and Housewife’s Manual” by Christian Isobel Johnstone, 1828.

Modern ingredients

  • 1 cup (100g) grated Cheshire cheese or Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce or anchovy paste (optional)
  • 8 slices of sandwich bread
  • 8 thin slices of ham or other cured meat

Modern method

Make the cheese spread: In a medium bowl, combine the grated cheese, softened butter, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce or anchovy paste (if using).

Blend the mixture: Mash the ingredients vigorously together with a fork, or pulse them in a food processor, until they form a smooth, uniform paste.

Prepare the bread: Lay out four slices of bread on a clean work surface and spread a generous, even layer of the cheese mixture over each slice.

Add the meat: Layer the thin slices of ham or cured meat evenly over the cheese spread on the four slices.

Assemble the sandwiches: Top with the remaining four slices of bread. Using a sharp knife, trim away the crusts if desired, and cut each sandwich into small squares or triangles to create perfect, bite-sized portions.

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