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Helado de paila
Hand-spun blackberry sorbet
Helado de paila: Andean blackberry sorbet hand-spun in a pan set on ice, as made in Pasto
Watching helado de paila being made is half the pleasure. In Pasto and Ipiales, and over the border in Ecuador, a wide copper or steel pan (the paila) spins on a bed of ice and salt in a straw-lined barrel, while the maker scrapes the fruit juice from the sides with a wooden paddle until it turns into a light, intensely fruity sorbet. Mora, lulo and naranjilla are the favourite flavours. At home a wide steel bowl sitting in a larger bowl of salted ice does the same job, and the hand-churning takes about 30 minutes, so get everyone to take turns. The base must be cold before it goes into the bowl; a warm base never freezes properly and turns into slush. Andean blackberries are tart and bright; ordinary blackberries with extra lime work. Chef's tip: keep scraping the frozen layer off the sides and folding it in, every 20–30 seconds; that motion is what makes the texture smooth.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the sorbet base
- 1 ⅛ lb Andean blackberries (mora)fresh or frozen; or blackberries plus 1 extra tbsp lime juice
- 6 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
For the ice bath
- 6 ⅝ lb ice cubes
- 14 oz coarse salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 6 ½ oz sugar and 1 ¼ cups water in a pan over a medium heat and stir for 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves completely.
3 minStep 2: Blend 1 ⅛ lb Andean blackberries (mora) with the syrup until smooth, then press through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Stir in 2 tbsp lime juice.
Step 3: Cover and chill the base in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or 30 minutes in the freezer, until very cold.
120 minStep 4: Put a wide stainless-steel bowl into a larger bowl or tub. Pack 6 ⅝ lb ice cubes around it, sprinkling layers of 14 oz coarse salt as you go, until the ice reaches nearly to the rim of the inner bowl.
Step 5: Pour about a third of the base into the steel bowl. Spin the bowl in the ice with one hand while scraping the sides with a wooden spatula, until a frozen layer forms.
5 minStep 6: Keep spinning and scraping the frozen layer from the sides into the centre, adding the rest of the base in two batches, for 25–35 minutes, until the sorbet is thick, light and holds soft peaks. Drain off meltwater and add more ice and salt as needed.
30 minStep 7: Serve at once in small cups, while soft and fluffy.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does helado de paila take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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