Charred Corn and Grilled Shrimp Salad

STEP 1: PICKLE THE CAYENNES (AT LEAST 24 HOURS AHEAD)

Wash the cayennes and leave the stems on. Prick each pod two or three times with the tip of a knife so the brine can get inside. Pack them into a sterilised jar with the smashed garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring the rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a simmer, stirring only until the sugar and salt dissolve, then pour it over the peppers while hot. Cool to room temperature, seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours; three days is better. This is the component the judges singled out, so make it properly and then leave it alone.

STEP 2: BUILD THE VINAIGRETTE

Whisk the lime juice, cayenne pickling liquor, honey, grated garlic, minced shallot, chilli powder and salt together until the honey dissolves. Whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream. Taste it: the dressing should be sharp and openly hot rather than polite, because the warm, sweet salad will absorb a great deal of it. Set aside, and the shallot will mellow as it sits.

STEP 3: MAKE THE CREMA

Whisk the sour cream, buttermilk, lime zest and juice and salt together until the mixture ribbons off the whisk. Chill until service. It wants to be properly cold and loose enough to spoon and spread.

STEP 4: TOAST THE CRUNCH

Toast the benne seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly, for two to three minutes until they smell nutty and just begin to colour. Tip them out immediately onto a cold plate so they stop cooking. Crush the corn nuts coarsely under the flat of a knife. Keep both dry and separate until the last moment.

STEP 5: CHAR THE CORN AND SCALLIONS

Get the grill properly hot. Rub the ears of corn with a little of the neutral oil and lay them directly over the coals or the flame. Turn them every couple of minutes for eight to ten minutes, until a good proportion of the kernels are genuinely blackened rather than merely golden; the char has to read as smoke and bitterness against the sweetness of the corn. Grill the scallions whole alongside for two to three minutes until limp and blistered. Rest everything until cool enough to handle, then stand each ear in a bowl and cut the kernels away. Slice the scallions on the bias.

STEP 6: GRILL THE SHRIMP

Toss the shrimp with the remaining neutral oil and a good pinch of salt. Lay them on the hottest part of the grill in a single uncrowded layer. Give them ninety seconds to two minutes a side, undisturbed, until the edges take real colour and the flesh has just turned opaque. Pull them the moment they curl into a loose C; a tight O means they are overcooked.

STEP 7: DRESS AND BUILD

While the corn and shrimp are still warm, toss the kernels, grilled scallions, shaved red onion and cherry tomatoes with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette. Let it sit for two minutes so the warm corn drinks it in. Fold through the cilantro and mint at the very last moment so they stay lively.

STEP 8: PLATE

Spoon a broad swipe of the cold crema across each plate. Pile the warm salad on top, slightly off-centre. Arrange the shrimp through and over it. Spoon a little more vinaigrette over the top. Scatter the toasted benne seeds and the crushed corn nuts. Grate the lime zest over everything from a height.

STEP 9: CROWN IT

Set one whole pickled cayenne on top of each plate, stem up, exactly as in the original. Serve straight away, while the salad is still warm against the cold crema; the temperature split is doing as much work here as the seasoning.