The Times Magazine - UK (2022-04-30)

The Times Magazine 33

GRILLED CORN,

MEXICAN-STYLE

Makes 4 (page 31)

These will disappear as fast as

you dress them with their

mouthwatering toppings.

• 4 corn on the cobs


• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Peel back the sleeves of the
   corn and remove the strands of
   silk clinging to the husks. Cover
   the husks with the sleeves again

Toppings

Chipotle mayo, pecorino, coriander

Combine chipotle paste with

mayonnaise and slather over the

corn. Grate over vegetarian

pecorino or hard goat’s cheese

and dust in chilli powder and

fresh coriander.

Chipotle butter, feta, fresh lime

Mash chipotle paste with 100g

butter and smear all over the

corn once it has cooked. Crumble

over some feta and squeeze over

a lime. The fieriness of the chillies

and the sweet corn are the

definition of finger-licking.

Eat!

MEXICAN

PHOTOGRAPHS Tara Fisher

o one needs to tell

Thomasina Miers how diverse

and vibrant Mexican food is.

Since winning MasterChef in

2005, she has done more than

anyone to popularise it through

her Wahaca restaurant chain.

But while we may conjure up

images of fish tacos and spiced

pork, it is in vegetarian and vegan

cooking that the country excels.

“A trip to any food market in

Mexico illustrates the abundance

of fruit and veg,” she says. Here

she picks some of her favourite

meat-free dishes. Tony Turnbull

N

CUCUMBER AND

WATERMELON SALAD

Makes a plate

An incredibly simple salad, dusted

with a spiky, moreish chilli salt.

• Half a watermelon, peeled
  and sliced


• 2 cucumbers, cut on the bias


• Juice of 1 lime, plus lime
  chunks to serve


• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the chilli-lime salt

• 10g Urfa chilli flakes
  (or ancho)


• 10g fine sea salt


• 100g caster sugar


• Zest of 1 lime

1. To make the chilli-lime salt,
   blitz the chillies with the salt in
   a spice grinder or small food
   processor, then stir in the sugar
   and lime zest.


2. Arrange the watermelon and
   cucumber on a salad dish.
   Squeeze over the lime, drizzle
   with the olive oil and dust with
   the chilli-lime salt. Serve at once,
   with extra lime to squeeze over.

and soak in cold water for

15-20 minutes or overnight.

2. Heat the barbecue, if using.
   When the barbecue is hot, put
   the cobs, still in their sleeves,
   straight onto the barbecue grills
   and turn them for 10-15 minutes
   until the husks blacken and
   become like tissue paper.
   Alternatively, brush them with oil
   and cook them on a griddle pan,
   using the peeled-back leaves as
   handles, or bake them, peeled
   and oiled, in an oven preheated
   to 200C (220C non-fan) for
   15-20 minutes, then dress with
   GETTY IMAGES one of the toppings (right).

Thomasina Miers