South of the Border

, from Issue #113. January, 2024
Photography by Yuki Sato.
South of the Border

This sauce is one of my absolute go-tos for any dish I want to give a little ‘kick’ to. For a milder version, scrape the seeds out of the chillis before preparing.

Click here to watch Sarah make the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

GREEN CHILLI SAUCE
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 green chillies, roughly chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups coriander leaves
finely grated zest1 lime
⅔ cup good quality egg mayonnaise

TOPPING
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons caster sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 small red onion, finely sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sweetcorn kernels (frozen or cut from a boiled cob)
sea salt and ground pepper

FISH
extra-virgin olive oil
butter
sea salt and ground pepper 
750 grams fresh fish fillets

TO SERVE
1½ avocados, chopped 2cm cubes
fresh coriander

METHOD

SAUCE: Heat the oil in a medium pot and add the chillis. Cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and salt and cook a further 2 minutes. Add ⅔ cup of water and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the coriander, and use a whiz stick to blend until smooth. Cool for 20 minutes then add the lime zest and mayonnaise and blitz again. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

TOPPING: Whisk the vinegar, sugar and salt together in a non- reactive bowl. Add the onion and stir to combine. Leave to soak for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and add the corn kernels. Season well and cook over a medium high heat until golden.

FISH: Heat a glug of oil and a knob of butter in a large frying pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper and in batches, cook until golden and just cooked through, about 2 minutes each side. Add a little more oil and butter if needed between batches. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish.

TO SERVE: Spoon the green chilli sauce onto serving plates, top with the cooked fish, pickled red onion, corn and avocado. Garnish with coriander.