Cajun Prawn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 500 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 sweetcorn cobs
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced
• 20 g fresh coriander, leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped
• 300 g ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, stoned and sliced
• Fine salt
• 8 small soft corn tortillas
• 150 g soured cream
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp hot sauce

Method

1. Pat the prawns properly dry with kitchen paper. Toss with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, cumin and olive oil until every prawn wears the spice mix evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper and leave to sit while you get the corn going; the spices will toast into the prawns as they cook, but the oil is already starting to wake them up.
2. Get a griddle pan or heavy frying pan over a high heat until you can feel the heat rising off it and a flick of water dances. Rub the sweetcorn cobs with a teaspoon of olive oil and lay them on. Griddle for 10–12 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until you've got proper blackened patches on every side; you want char, not a gentle tan. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. While the corn works, whisk the lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, grated garlic and honey in a small bowl until it pulls together into a glossy dressing. Stir through the chopped coriander and season to taste; it should be sharp, sweet, and a little bossy.
4. Stand each cob upright on the board and slice the kernels away in firm downward strokes. Tip into a large bowl with the drained black beans and toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing so the warm kernels drink it up.
5. Add the sliced red onion and chopped tomatoes and toss gently; you want everything coated, not crushed. Arrange across a large platter or divide between four bowls.
6. Wipe the pan clean and return it to a high heat with the last drop of oil. Cook the prawns in a single layer for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until pink, curled and charred at the edges. Work in two batches; crowd the pan and the prawns sweat instead of searing, and you'll lose the Cajun crust you just built. As they hit the hot pan the ground spices will toast in the oil and smell properly fragrant; that's the cue they're cooking, not just sitting there.
7. Lay the avocado slices over the salad, pile the hot prawns on top, and drizzle over the rest of the dressing. Add a final squeeze of lime if it needs lifting.
8. Bring it to the table with the warm corn tortillas, a bowl of soured cream, lime wedges and hot sauce alongside, and let everyone build their own.