February 2003 - Corn Salad and Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Salsa

Moving right along to issue #13. I really wanted to make the Duck Breasts with Berries but I could not get any duck breasts. I might as well have asked for hen's teeth as duck breasts at the couple of places that I enquired. I was told that they could special order me a whole duck but I didn't want a whole duck, I just wanted two breasts. Maybe one day I will be able to get them and come back to this recipe but I am not going to hold my breath.

I, instead, found my way to the "cooking with Bill Granger" section and discovered not one but two recipes that I wanted to try. He had a whole section devoted to a Mexican feast. I quite enjoy Mexican food and most of these recipes looked to be quick and easy so I chose two from the same page, Corn Salad and Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Salsa. I would have made it three with the Watermelon Vodka Juice but I didn't have any vodka in the house. I have made something similar in the past though. Bill used vodka, ice, sugar syrup and chopped watermelon blended up. I used to freeze chunks of watermelon to blend up with vodka and sugar syrup. That way you don't have ice watering things down.

The corn salad and the spicy potatoes with tomato salsa were very good. I particularly liked the corn salad. Everything was fresh and it was light and clean tasting. As part of Bill's feast he served it all with fish tacos. I had no interest in going there, so I pan fried a lightly seasoned pork leg steak and it worked very well with the two sides. The only thing I changed flavour wise was in the corn salad. It called for coriander leaves. I cannot stand coriander leaves. I have no problem with ground coriander seeds but the leaves just taste like soap to me. So I will always either substitute it or make something else.

Corn Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 40 ml olive oil
• 3 cups of fresh kernels from 3 - 4 cobs of corn (depending on size)
  
• 20 ml lime juice
  
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• 1/2 green capsicum (I used red), finely sliced
• handful of coriander leaves (ugh! I used flat leaf parsley)
  

Method:

• Husk the corn and remove as much of the silk as possible. With a sharp knife slice down each cob to remove the kernels, or used a corn stripping tool if you have one.
  
• Heat oil in a fry pan and add corn and fry stirring constantly until cooked. This will take about 3 - 4 minutes. I let it brown a touch just to add to the flavour.
  
• Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper and add lime juice and leave to cool.
  
• Before serving add remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
  

Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 60 ml olive oil
• 40 ml lime juice
• 1 tsp tabasco, or to taste
• 2 tsp paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 1 kg kipfler potatoes, scrubbed clean and halved (I just used baby potatoes quartered)

Tomato Salsa

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
  
• 12 mint leaves
• 20 ml olive oil
  
• 20 ml lime juice
  

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 C.
  
• Combine all ingredients for the potatoes and toss thoroughly to combine.
  
• Turn out on a baking tray and bake in the oven until done, mine took about 30 minutes, Bill suggest an hour but mine were cut smaller.
  
• While potatoes are cooking combine all ingredients for the salsa and set aside for flavours to combine.
  
• Serve potatoes topped with the salsa and sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper.