I had to go back to Ireland for a family funeral last month and, as the career caterer in the family inevitably found myself getting involved in the funeral meats.
Funerals in Ireland are very social occasions and back at the house after the removal and on the days around the funeral you will have a steady stream of visitors, some who have travelled some distance, and none of which would object to a bit of sustinance.
This is always a difficult time of trying to stretch cups saucers and plates so the ideal solution I decided was a plentiful supply of sandwiches.
Now no-one in these days of sandwich bars and delis is going to thank you for doorsteps of bread ham and tomato, the tomato already soaking into the bread and turning it into pink blotting paper.
I feel the sandwich, frequently looked down on as meal maker, deserves something better.
Ideally it should have crunch, zest and be easily chewed.
Together with my brother-in-law Colm I came up with the following recipes which ticked all these boxes.

Cheese and Chutney Sandwiches

Make with Brown bread, softened butter, and little gem lettuce.
Coarsely grate 450g (1 lb.) Dubliner or good Cheddar Cheese.
Stir in three or four tablespoons chutney (below, or use Ballymaloe)
and two scallions chopped.
Spread this on each sandwich with a leaf of crisp lettuce.

Tomato Chutney :
1 Onion (finely chopped)
60g (2 oz) Sultanas
1 Medium Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp. Ginger
2 Eating Apples (peeled and chopped)
180g (6 oz) Brown Sugar
180ml.( (6 fluid oz) White Wine Vinegar.
First make the chutney.
(You will have far more than you need for this dish but it isn't practical to make it in smaller quantities and it has many other uses in a store cupboard.)
Tip all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Let it boil gently for 20 to 30 mins., stirring all the time to make sure it doesn’t stick or burn.
It is reckoned to be ready when a spoon drawn through the mixture leaves a path behind.
Leave this cool and preserve in jars.


Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
(for about 12 Sandwiches)

1 Brown Sliced pan
250g (8oz.) Sliced Smoked Salmon
110g (4 oz.) Softened butter
220g (8 oz.) Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Crème Fraiche
2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
Juice of ½ lemon
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 Cucumber.

Mix together well the cream Cheese, Crème Fraiche, Horseradish, lemon juice and pepper.
Slice down through the smoked salmon slices to make little julienne slivers of fish.
Slice the Cucumber thinly.
Butter each slice lightly with the butter.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on half of the bread slices.
Sprinkle a little of the smoked salmon on this and top with the slices of cucumber.
Put on the second slice of bread.


Spiced Chicken and Raita Sandwiches

(for about 12 sandwiches)

24 slices of white or brown bread
110g (4 oz.) Softened Butter
1 Cos or 2 little Gem lettuces
4 breasts of Chicken
1 thumb of Ginger
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tablespoon Mild Curry Paste.

Raita Sauce

1 Tub Greek Yoghurt
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 bunch Fresh Mint

Chicken
Grate the Ginger and mix this with the paste and the lime juice.
Marinade the (skinless) chicken breasts in this for about an hour.
Roast these in a hot oven for 35 minutes.
Leave to cool and slice thinly.
Mix together the Yoghurt and Mayo with the finely chopped Mint.

Butter the bread thinly with butter and make each sandwich with the chicken thinly sliced, a dribble of the raita and a leaf of lettuce.