Spicy corn relish

We made this over the weekend to serve on top of pan fried seabass and Mexican green rice. This taste combo is one of my absolute favourites right now. The freshness of the greens in the rice combined with the spice and sweetness in this relish is amazing and we never make anywhere near enough.



To make this spicy little number, you will need:

2 ears of fresh corn (which should give you approx. 1 and a half cups of kernels)
2 tbsps olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsps minced ginger
2 jalapeno chillies (adjust depending on your heat tolerance), finely chopped
1/2 a red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces
1/2 a green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces
1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tbsps dark brown sugar, more to taste
2 tbsps cider vinegar
3 teaspoons of thai sweet chilli sauce
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
3 tbsps coarsely grated dry-roasted peanuts
3 tbsps chopped fresh coriander

Start by removing the kernels from your corn. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan and add the shallots, garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook over a medium heat until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the corn, red and green bell peppers and tomato. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the corn and peppers release their juices and these juices start to evaporate.

Add the brown sugar, vinegar, sweet chilli sauce, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender and the relish has thickened and is richly flavoured. Stir in the peanuts and coriander and cook for another 2 minutes. This relish should be highly seasoned so at this point check that the seasoning is to your liking. Serve this relish hot or cold with almost any kind of seafood, poultry or meat. This relish will also keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in an air tight container.

Original recipe from Steve Raichlen's Barbecue! Sauces, Rubs & Marinades