Watermelon Bites with Cucumber-Lime Granita

Makes 12 bites · Prep: 25 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Rest: 3 hours · Total: about 3 hours 30 minutes

Set the spoons out before the granita leaves the freezer. Once the ice hits the watermelon, you have a few good minutes before it starts to melt.

Cut the watermelon thick enough to hold the scoop. Thin pieces slump under the granita and leave juice everywhere.

Ingredients

1
Dissolve the sugar
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cool for 10 minutes.
2
Blend the granita
Blend the cucumber, cooled syrup, lime juice, and salt until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow metal pan. Press on the pulp, then discard it.
3
Freeze and scrape
Freeze for 45 minutes. Scrape the icy edges toward the center with a fork. Repeat every 30 minutes for 2 to 3 hours, until the mixture forms loose crystals. Cover and keep frozen.
4
Cut the watermelon
Cut the watermelon into slabs about 1 inch thick. Use a 1½-inch round cutter to make 12 pieces. Set them on a towel-lined tray and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. The towel catches the juice that would otherwise dilute the granita.
5
Shape the granita
Scrape the granita once more. Pack a small melon baller with the crystals and turn out one scoop for each watermelon round. Work in two batches if the kitchen is warm.
6
Finish
Top each bite with mint, one or two flakes of salt, and lime zest if using. Serve immediately.

The granita keeps for up to 3 days. Scrape it again just before serving.
A small cookie scoop works when you do not have a melon baller. The shape will be looser, but the texture stays the same.

California · Salads

Japanese-American · Appetizers

California · Salads

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