Pesto slaw with spicy corn ribs

Dominic Franks shares a deliciously simple summer supper or side dish recipe, ideal for eating outdoors.

Do you ever look at the contents of your fridge and think, ‘what was I even thinking?’ Honestly, sometimes I’ll have a half-baked meal idea as I’m walking round the supermarket but by the time I get home I’ve got a jumble of stuff that I have completely no idea what to do with. Just because I liked the look of that red cabbage or the basil was on special offer, or even the fact that I haven’t had corn on the cob for donkey’s years.

So, this is what happens when you fridge raid – a pesto slaw with corn ribs, with stale olive bread croutons and bits of other veg that I randomly had in the fridge… you get the picture!

The slaw mayo dressing is sublime, so simple to make and will make such a brilliant addition to any summer al fresco dining experience.

METHOD

• Start with the corn ribs. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan.)
• Carefully cut them in half, then cut each half through the middle from top to tail, and then again so you have wedges. Lay these on a large baking sheet along with the chopped bread. Drizzle with plenty of oil, then sprinkle with chilli flakes, salt and pepper and paprika. Mix it well. Roast in the oven for 30 mins until the corn is beginning to char and the croutons are crispy.
• All you need is a stick blender, or if not you can use a food processor. Simply place all the ‘mayo’ ingredients into the stick blender bowl/beaker and blend on high speed. The mayonnaise will come together in a few seconds. Add the pesto additions and blend again. Then simply decant into a sterile jar.
• For my slaw, I used red cabbage, kale, carrots and shallots – all finely shredded. Place them in a large bowl, pour over as much mayo as you like and mix well.
• Serve scattered with the crispy croutons and with the corn ribs on top. 

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