Sake Granita with Shiso Leaves

Summer is almost over....

My sister has been asking me to make sake granita which she had at a sushi restaurant as a dessert. I have been thinking how I can do this for awhile, and now I have finally tried it out. It is basically shaved ice, except I did not shave anything. All I needed to do was to put the sake mixture in a Ziploc bag and leave it in the freezer over night. Because of the alcohol content, it does not solidify like a huge block of ice but it becomes rather slushy in the bag ready to serve. How convenient!

Nigori-sake, rich in flavor

Served in a small wine glass

Sake Granita With Shiso Leaves

1 bottle sake, 12 oz, I used unfiltered Nigori-sake
2 cups water
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp agave nectar
3 Tbsp shiso leaves, chopped finely

Mix all of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Leave it in the freezer over night. You can take it out of the freezer every few hours and mix the content by mashing the bag. I only did this twice, but it came out really nice.

Sake mixture in a Ziploc bag

It is important to add water, or some other liquid to the sake to help it solidify in the freezer. Sake alone does not freeze easily in the regular household freezer. You can add whatever you have, sparkling water or ginger ale to add to the sake. I like mine to be on the sweeter side, so I added quite a bit of sweetener also. You can substitute it with regular sugar or honey. Lemon does add a nice fruity touch.



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