Liven up the table and the taste buds with this lovely Mexican-inspired dish; easy to make, very easy to enjoy.
Ingredients
1 bunch coriander
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
sea salt
1 red capsicum, diced
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
400g tinned black beans, rinsed
juice of 1 lime
8 small corn tortillas (check gluten-free if necessary)
120ml sour cream
120g good-quality mature cheddar, grated
6 tbsp jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped
4 corn on the cobs
4 long green shallots, finely sliced
1 de-seeded red chilli, finely chopped
The Mexican ingredients are available online, if not at specialist delis or food halls.
Method
Pick off coriander leaves, chop and reserve; finely chop the stems.
Warm 2 tablespoons of oil in saucepan on medium heat, and sauté garlic, onion, coriander stems and salt for about 5 minutes. Add capsicum and cook for another 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for a minute, stirring continuously, then add black beans. Cook for about 3 minutes or until everything has softened. Remove from heat; add half the lime juice and process briefly to combine while still leaving some "texture". Check seasoning.
Take a tortilla and spread with 2 tablespoons of bean mixture around the centre, leaving a 2cm border. On one half of the bean circle, spread a tablespoon of sour cream, some cheddar and jalapeños. Fold in half and repeat with remaining tortillas.
Heat a barbecue to medium. Cook the corn for about 15 minutes, turning regularly until golden all over. When cobs have cooled, cut off the kernels and place in a bowl. Add the remaining lime juice and oil along with the reserved chopped coriander leaves, shallots, chilli and a little salt. Mix through and check seasoning.
Oil the barbecue thoroughly. Char the quesadillas for 2-3 minutes each side until the cheese is melted. Cut quesadillas in quarters. Serve on a platter with the corn salsa.
Serving suggestion: Serve with Neil Perry's warm steal salad with chipotle dressing (add the salad to the quesadillas).
Photography by William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.