Toasted corn salsa

Toasted corn salsa

I remember the first time I had a real salsa, it was at my friend Amanda’s house in Mill Valley in California. We ate the fresh salsa with corn chips and it was so moreish. Once I started that was it, the whole lot was demolished.

It was a salsa from the supermarket but made with fresh tomatoes, onions, coriander leaf, chillis and citrus, all lovely produce and this tasted homemade. It was so fresh and zingy, it really didn’t last long at all.

It’s weird how you remember things in life. I’m a visual person, so I remember exactly how it looked but I can also remember that taste. We stood at the kitchen counter in their open plan house, perched on a hillside just outside San Francisco.

Bob and Julia, Amanda’s parents treated me and my brother like kings, even though our visit was only short. We’d arrive on the train from Chicago after 3 days of travelling and they then treated us to city tours, a camping trip to Yosemite, my first ever Mexican dinner and the tour highlight, the Cotati Internaltion Accordian Festival. Sadly they have both passed away now, but they, and the salsa, will forever remain in my memories.

Method

1. Start by lighting your Egg and getting it to 200°C with a direct setup (just the stain less steel grid).
2. Cook your corn for about 10 minutes, turning it frequently. You’re looking to colour the corn without burning it.
3. Let the corn cool a little before slicing the kernels from the husk with a sharp knife.
4. Put the corn and all the other ingredients into a food processor and blend into a coarse salsa. Don’t overdo it, you don’t want a sauce.

Serve with corn tortilla chips or as a side to other dishes like my fajitas.