Ingredients
- 2 small piquín or árbol chili
- 3 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 limes
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cup cold medium-dark beer
Directions
Combine the chilies, water, sugar, and lime zest in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the lime juice. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the mixture into a shallow nonreactive pan and put it in the freezer.
Once the edges start to freeze (about 1 hour), scrape lightly with a fork, bringing the ice crystals from the edges to the center. Return to the freezer and continue scraping every 30 minutes or so, until the mixture is completely frozen and looks like small ice flakes.
Place the chili powder and salt in a bowl and stir. Wet the rim of a glass with lime juice, then dip it in the chili powder. For each serving, place ½ cup of the granita in the prepared glass. Pour about ¼ cup beer over the granita and serve immediately.
Recipe from Paletas by Fany Gerson/Ten Speed Press, 2011.
