Sweetcorn and avocado with sweet chilli and lime sauce

Serves six

For the sweet chilli and lime sauce

• 4 corn cobs
• 15g mint leaves
• 20g coriander leaves
• 2 large ripe avocados
• 5 spring onions
• 0 Salt

• 1 small red pepper
• 70g caster sugar
• 90g rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 red chillies
• 0 5 cm piece fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lime

Step 1
You can make the sauce well in advance (I’d also be inclined to make double or triple the amount of sauce, and freeze the excess, ready for next time), leaving just the corn to grill and the salad to mix.

Step 2
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.

Step 3
Start with the sauce.

Step 4
Put the pepper on a small oven tray and roast for 25 minutes, until soft and blackened all over.

Step 5
Take out of the oven and, when cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin, and remove and discard the seeds and stalk.

Step 6
Put the pepper flesh in the small bowl of a food processor, and blitz to a smooth puree.

Step 7
Put the sugar, vinegar and fish sauce into a small saucepan on a medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring to melt the sugar, and leave to bubble for five to six minutes, until the syrup is thick and reduced to about a half.

Step 8
Off the heat, stir in the chillies, ginger, garlic and red pepper puree, and leave to cool.

Step 9
Once cool, stir in the lime zest and juice, and set aside.

Step 10
Put a char-grill on a high heat and ventilate your kitchen.

Step 11
Once hot, griddle the corn for eight to 10 minutes, turning regularly, until fairly black all over, then cut off the kernels in large clumps.

Step 12
Mix the corn kernels in a large bowl with the chilli sauce, herbs, avocado and spring onion, season with salt to taste, and serve at once.