chilli sweetcorn and courgette bake

the mexican cooking technique of frying chillies in a dry pan so they soften and char, which i used to make a very wonderful smokey salsa, is also used in this dish which is based on a thomasina miers recipe for  roasted chilli sweetcorn.

i made this as part of the latin buffet we had last weekend and we ate leftovers as a filling for quesadillas which worked very well. you do need to be a fan of sweetcorn though as it flavour of the vegetables really shines through.

chilli sweetcorn and courgette bake* (serves 4)

2-3 green chillies (i used 2 birds eye chillies)

25g butter

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

3 courgettes, diced into 1cm cubes

350g tinned corn, drained and rinsed

120g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces

150ml crème fraîche

freshly ground black pepper

preheat oven to 180c.

heat a dry frying pan and add the whole chillies. cook on a high heat for 5min until the skin is blackened. remove the chilli stem, chop finely and set aside.

add butter to your frying pan and cook the onions over a low heat until they soften. add the garlic, chillies, thyme and courgettes. cook until the courgette is just beginning to soften – c5 minutes. remove from the heat and add the corn, feta and crème fraiche. season to taste (you’re unlikely to need salt given the feta) and bake for 30 minutes.

if you are eating this as a main course, thomasina suggests serving her version with brown rice or new potatoes, both of which, i think, would be lovely.

* based on a thomasina miers recipe