Paper thin slices of radish are ruffle-able, and for goodness sake, I need more edible tutus in my life! As long as you have a very sharp mandoline slicer (this is the one I use) and some patience, making these is pretty easy, and I’ve included some tips within the recipe that I hope will be helpful. I truly enjoy folding and ruffling for these radish tea sandwiches, but even you you decide you don’t, plain ol’ bread +radishes + butter + salt + pepper is still a simple and delicious delight in itself.

Radish Tea Sandwiches Recipe

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Ruffled Radish Tea Sandwiches

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Radishes leaves and root tips trimmed
Mandoline slicer with a sharp non-serrated blade
Cut resistant glove optional but recommended!
Softened butter
Sliced white bread
Biscuit cutter optional
Freshly ground pepper
Flaky salt

Instructions

Slice the Radishes:

Set the mandoline slicer to the closed position. Put the cut resistant glove on your working hand and glide the trimmed radish over the mandoline blade without applying pressure. Check out the slice, and if necessary click the mandoline blade down to the next setting to make the slices thicker. For the thinnest possible slices, do not apply pressure as you slice.

Prepare the Bread:

Spread a generous layer of softened butter on your sliced bread. The layer of butter needs to be thick enough to hold the radish ruffles in place, so don’t be stingy!
Use a biscuit cutter to cut round sandwiches out of the buttered bread slices, or, use a knife to slice away the crust of the bread and cut into squares or triangles. Look for the sandwiches to be 1-2 bites in size.

Assemble the Sandwiches:

Fold/ruffle a thin radish slice and pinch it at the edge between your thumb and forefinger. Fold a second radish slice and add it to your thumb and forefinger. Repeat 1-2 more times. Then, take your ruffle bundle and stick the pinched edge/side into the butter. Build until the surface of the sandwich is covered.
Top sandwiches with freshly ground black pepper and a few flakes of flaky salt just before serving. (If you need to store your sandwiches for a while before serving, drape a clean, damp dish cloth over the top of the sandwiches to keep them from drying out.)

Tips!

Fold your radish slices in different directions and patterns for a pleasing organic look.
Begin placing the ruffles a bit on their side rather than standing straight up if you need to.
When the surface begins to fill, place individual ruffles into naked spots rather than bunches.
Be sure to hold the ruffled/folded radish slices pinched between your thumb and forefinger for at least a few seconds so they hold their shape.
If your slices are too thick, they may not hold their shape or may break rather than bend!