Corn cheese with green chilli & lime

Ingredients

• 25 g (1oz) unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 100 g (3½oz) mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 25 g (1oz) parmesan, grated

Chilli & lime sauce

• 2 jalapeño chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 lime, zest only, plus juice of ½ lime
• 10 g (¼oz) flat-leaf parsley, stalks included, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp golden granulated sugar
• a pinch of sea salt flakes, to taste

Sweetcorn

• 2 × 200 g (7oz) cans of sweetcorn
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp golden granulated sugar
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients for the chilli and lime sauce into a small food processor and blend until smooth and saucy; you may need to add a touch of water (about 1 tablespoon). Check for seasoning and add a pinch more salt or sugar to taste; it should have bright acidity with a touch of heat and a sweet note.
2. Combine the ingredients for the sweetcorn in a mixing bowl and set aside. Place a grill-safe, heavy-based frying pan or skillet (ideally a cast-iron skillet) over a medium heat. Melt the butter and sauté the onions for 5 minutes or so until softened. Stir the sweetcorn mixture into the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes to cook off some of the moisture. Spread the sweetcorn evenly across the pan. Lower the heat and scatter with both cheeses. Continue cooking for 10 minutes over low heat until the edges start to appear crisp and caramelized and the cheeses have softened and look quite pale.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the grill (broiler) to high.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and place it under the grill for 2–5 minutes to continue cooking until the cheeses melt to bubbling hot and deliciously golden. Once done, carefully transfer the pan to a heatproof surface. Generously dollop the chilli and lime sauce over the top and serve immediately.

This is an edited extract from Pocha by Su Scott published by Quadrille. Photography © Toby Scott.