capsaicin

lunch was seared tiger prawns with a guajillo chiffonade and a salad of oiled, chargrilled leeks. guajillo is a chile native to mexico, of medium heat. the chiffonade wasn't really a chiffonade, but it did add an interestingly smokey flavour to the perfectly-cooked prawns. they were so fresh, tender (but firm) that they squeaked and crunched under my teeth. (it sounds unappetising, but these were some very good prawns). the grilled leek salad was a brilliant move: bright, verdant green with hashmarks of black, and with just enough bite to be interesting. the high heat had made the leeks tender and wilty and perfect.