Thai Style Beef Skewers with Chilli and Basil Pesto

For the skewers:

Make the marinade for the skewers by combining everything apart from the beef in a large bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Cut the beef into 1 cm thick strips, or if easier, into 3 cm cubes. Keep any fat on the beef as this will crisp up when cooked and add to the flavour if grilling over charcoal. Add the beef to the marinade and leave for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours (if you leave it too long the meat starts to cure and can turn tough).

If using, soak wooden skewers in water to prevent them burning. After marinating, thread the beef onto skewers. For best flavour, cook over a hot charcoal grill, for 4-5 minutes, or until they have coloured lightly blackened all over. The beef will be cooked through but still tender and juicy. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. They can also be cooked on a gas grill, a griddle or frying pan, or under a hot oven grill.

For the Salad:

Place a medium pan of well salted water on a high heat to boil. trim the stalks from the beans and add to the pan once the water is boiling, cook for around 2-3 minutes (depending on size), so the beans still have a little crunch to them. Drain and refresh in very cold or ice water for 3 minutes, then drain and allow to drip dry.

Wash the carrots and remove the stalk, cut into 2 pieces, then cut each piece into long thin strips (a mandolin is great for this). Lay the strips on top of one another and cut into matchstick sized pieces. If this is too tricky, you could use a peeler to create ribbons of carrot instead.

Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Peel the outer later from the spring onions and finely slice.

To make the dressing, juice the lime into a bowl. Add the pesto, sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil and stir till combined and dissolved.

When ready to serve, combine the carrot, beans, tomatoes and spring onions in a large mixing bowl, pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Remove the stalks and seeds from the chilli then thinly slice and add to the bowl, along with roughly chopped coriander and the rose harissa nuts. Mix again to disperse then serve.