Ingredients:

  • 1 large English Cucumber
  • 0.5 tsp Sea salt
  • 225g full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 30ml Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped
  • 0.5 tsp lemon zest, microplaned
  • 0.25 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 8 slices high-quality white Pullman loaf, crusts removed
  • 14g unsalted butter, softened

Instructions:

  1. Peel the cucumber. Take your English cucumber and peel it in long stripes, leaving about half the green skin on. Slice it into 3mm thick rounds.
  2. Extract the moisture. Arrange the slices in a single layer on paper towels. Sprinkle with 0.5 tsp sea salt. Note: This draws out the water that causes sogginess.
  3. Wait ten minutes. Let the cucumbers sit for 10 minutes until you see visible droplets on the surface.
  4. Whip the spread. In a bowl, combine 225g softened cream cheese, 30ml Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp dill, 1 tbsp chives, 0.5 tsp lemon zest, and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
  5. Aerate the mixture. Use a whisk or fork to whip the mixture until it looks light and fluffy.
  6. Dry the cucumbers. Pat the slices firmly with a fresh paper towel to remove all surface water and excess salt.
  7. Butter the bread. Spread a very thin layer of softened butter (14g) on one side of all 8 bread slices. Note: This is your moisture barrier.
  8. Apply the herb spread. Spread the cream cheese mixture generously over the butter, going all the way to the edges.
  9. Layer the slices. Shingle the cucumber slices on 4 of the bread slices, slightly overlapping them until the bread is fully covered.
  10. Final assembly. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread, press down gently, and use a sharp serrated knife to remove crusts and cut into triangles.