chicken cucumber sandwich with ginger mushroom butter

chicken cucumber sandwich, moving towards the light.

December's going to be a busy month. I'll be doing lots of overtime at work, and my parents are visiting, but hopefully I can still update my blog fairly regularly!

I'll just make this a quick one. One of the sandwiches I am most familiar with growing up consisted of buttered bread with chicken and cucumber. It's simple stuff, perhaps a little boring to some, but I am rather fond of it. I had some leftover cooked chicken from a soup the other day, so I decided to make this sandwich with a slight twist, while still keeping it quite uncomplicated. This is where oyster mushroom + ginger butter comes in...

Making the butter was easy. I sweated diced oyster mushrooms and finely grated ginger in a little bit of salted butter, then removed from heat and folded this mixture into some more butter. This makes a chunky but soft and spreadable gingered oyster mushroom butter. I swiped it on some freshly toasted ciabatta bread.

gingered oyster mushroom butter

On top, I layered cucumber slices, then sliced chicken, and seasoned to taste. Seasoning suggestions: I thought ponzu would be nice with this but since I didn't have any, I settled for a little soy sauce, mirin,  pepper, and lemon juice. If you have some suitable herbs or greens lazing about (which I didn't, but wish I did), you can scatter them over as well.

I definitely prefer eating this when it is freshly made, while the butter is still warm, the oyster mushrooms juicy and the bread is toasty. I think it agrees...

chicken cucumber sandwich, contemplating life.

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elderflower, cucumber & rosemary granita

When I went to Tasmania last year, I chanced upon elderflower cordial at Salamanca Market. I purchased a hot elderflower tea to go and instantly fell in love with the delicate floral taste of elderflowers, which, to me, is also reminiscent of lychees, one of my favourite fruits. Recently I have been thinking about revisiting elderflower cordial again, and in a stroke of glorious serendipity, the grocery store I frequent started stocking it. Yay!

Elderflower cordial is lovely in a simple drink with just iced or hot water, and I've drank several glasses since I procured myself a bottle. But I wanted to do something a little fancy with it as well, while still keeping things fairly uncomplicated, so I decided to try making an elderflower granita. Having recently discovered the cool, clean taste of cucumber in cocktails, I thought that a cucumber element could work very nicely here. I was keen to throw in some rosemary too, because I love its fragrance, and I don't use it nearly often enough in my kitchen adventures. So that settles it: a light and refreshing elderflower, cucumber and rosemary granita, perfect as a palate cleanser or a light dessert.

elderflower, cucumber and rosemary granita

A few notes on the following recipe. Cordials can vary by the brand, so do a taste test and adjust ingredients if necessary. The brand I used was Ashbolt, which isn't too sweet, and tastes very fresh, probably thanks to the lemon in the ingredients. With the cucumber, I used purée, but if you want your ice crystals pure and clear, use juice. I actually didn't use the optional lime/lemon or gin - they were just possibilities I thought could be worth exploring. Finally, opt for a shallow container as that will make the mixture easier to freeze and scrape, but also remember the ice crystals will end up requiring almost twice the space of the liquid, so accommodate for that.

elderflower, cucumber and rosemary granita recipe:

11/2 cups elderflower cordial
1 cup cucumber purée or juice
1/2 cup rosemary infusion (this requires 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried)
squeezes of lime or lemon juice, to taste (optional)
a few dashes of gin (optional)

- Make the rosemary infusion: bring 1/2 cup water to boil, add two sprigs of fresh rosemary, remove from heat and leave to steep for half an hour. I also bruised the rosemary sprigs with a spoon to release more flavour.
- Meanwhile, juice or blend the cucumber with the elderflower cordial. I threw in a few rosemary leaves here to blend as well for added visual effect.
- Combine elderflower cordial, cucumber juice, rosemary infusion (sprigs removed), and the optional gin and lime/lemon juice (if using) in a container.
- Cover container and place in the freezer. When it starts setting, break up the ice crystals with a fork every couple of hours to produce chunky little ice crystals, guiding them towards the centre. Do this until completely frozen. Alternatively, if you don't mind a slushier texture and have a food processor, an easier method would be to freeze the mixture as ice cubes, and process them the next day.

The result? An elegant, pale green granita that is sweet, subtle, and surprisingly soothing to the senses... sublime, even.

elderflower, cucumber and rosemary granita in a mini cucumber bowl

Additional note: I had more from the freezer in the following days and I'm still in love with this. Even as an icy dessert, it smells amazing the moment I open it up. I think this could be my most favourite creation so far!

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