Charred Sweetcorn, Black Bean and Avocado Salad with Lime Dressing

Ingredients

• 3 corn on the cob, husks removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds in for heat, out for mild)
• 20 g coriander, leaves and tender stems chopped
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2 limes (about 4 tbsp)
• 2 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ½ tsp flaky sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• pinch of caster sugar
• 2 ripe but firm avocados
• extra squeeze of lime
• 100 g feta, crumbled

Method

1. Get the BBQ or a griddle pan ripping hot; you want it smoking before the corn goes near it. A cool grill steams the corn instead of charring it, and steamed corn has none of the smoky-sweet edge that makes this salad sing.
2. Rub the cobs with the olive oil and season generously with the flaky salt. Lay them straight onto the bars in a single layer with space between each cob; crowd the grill and you'll trap steam where you want fire. Char hard, turning every 2 minutes or so, for 8–10 minutes total. You're looking for blackened, blistered patches on every side; not evenly golden, but properly charred in spots. The dark patches bring the smoky edge this salad needs.
3. While the corn chars, build the dressing in a large salad bowl. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, ground cumin, grated garlic, salt, pepper and pinch of sugar together. Whisk until the dressing looks emulsified rather than oily. The grated garlic is going in raw, so keep it to one clove and make sure it's finely grated. Taste the dressing: it should be sharp, savoury, with the sugar just rounding off the lime's edge.
4. Tip the drained black beans, red onion, red pepper, jalapeño and chopped coriander into the bowl with the dressing. Stir to coat. Letting the onion sit in the lime juice for a few minutes takes the raw bite off and turns it pleasingly pink.
5. When the corn is charred and cool enough to handle (about 3–4 minutes off the heat), stand each cob upright in a wide bowl and run a sharp knife down the sides to strip the kernels. The bowl catches everything and saves you chasing kernels round the kitchen. Tip the warm kernels into the salad and fold through; the warm corn softens the onion just enough.
6. Halve, stone and cube the avocados last, just before serving; this is the rule. Score the flesh in the skin, scoop out with a spoon, then add a squeeze of lime straight over the cubes to stop them browning. Fold gently through the salad so the cubes stay intact rather than smashing into guacamole.
7. Taste the salad. Add salt, lime or a pinch of cumin until it tastes bright and smoky.
8. Pile the salad onto a wide platter, crumble the feta or cotija over the top, scatter with extra coriander leaves, and tuck lime wedges around the edge. Serve at room temperature while the corn still has a little bite.