Bohemian Sandwiches

A potted-shrimp filling in miniature, written in the shorthand of a period cook who expected you to season by taste. Nothing here is difficult; the whole thing rests on the butter-to-shrimp ratio and on using bread thin enough to stay polite.

• No quantities givenThe original assumes you know the proportion. A workable starting point is 8 oz cooked, peeled shrimp to 3-4 tablespoons melted butter — enough to bind into a spreadable paste, not enough to make it greasy. Add butter a spoonful at a time.
• The shrimpThe recipe assumes cooked shrimp; period cooks would have had either fresh-boiled shrimp or the canned sort. Cooked cocktail shrimp or small cold-water shrimp work; do not use raw shrimp, since nothing in this recipe cooks them.
• Chop, do not purée"Very fine" means knife-chopped to a rough paste. A food processor turns shrimp to a gummy emulsion in seconds — pulse briefly if you use one, or chop by hand for the texture the recipe intends.
• Season at the endShrimp and butter are both salty, and Worcestershire brings more. Mix, taste, then adjust. Lemon juice should be enough to lift the butter, roughly a teaspoon for half a pound of shrimp.
• "Thin slices of toast"Toast the bread first, then trim crusts and slice — or use thin-cut sandwich bread toasted and cut into fingers or triangles. Spread the paste while the butter is still soft so it does not tear the toast.
• Serve cold, hold coldButter-bound shellfish sitting at room temperature for hours is the weak point of any potted preparation. Make the paste ahead, refrigerate it, and assemble close to serving.
• YieldHalf a pound of shrimp makes enough for about 16 small tea sandwiches.