Many of my fondest food memories come from my time living in Guadalajara Mexico. While I’ll probably never be able to decide on an absolute favorite, I can say that come summer, there is nothing better than when the corn comes into season and you can find Elote stands on every corner. Many a sunny Sunday I spent strolling Tlaquepaque with a blistered corn cob in hand, covered in crema, cotija, chilies, and lime. This drool worthy, and addictive snack is often also served in a bowl with the addition of mayo and goes by the name of Esquites. With the bounty of Maryland corn reaching it’s peak at the local farmer’s market, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to relive some of these tasty moments by creating a homage to my beloved Mexican Elote and Esquites. I served this with grilled swordfish, but it great along side any protein or even as a stand-alone salad with the addition of shrimp or chicken. This is a simple recipe, perfect for a picnic or the dinner table as it can be served chilled, room temp, or warm. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
6 ears of fresh corn – I used both white sweet and bi-color corn from Baltco. Farmer
1 bunch green onions – finely sliced, 1/3 of green tips reserved for garnish
1 small white onion – finely diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
5 oz Cotija Cheese – finely grated (+ more to taste)
1 Jalapeño or Serrano pepper – finely sliced (optional)
3 tablespoons Mayo
Evoo or melted butter
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper flakes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (+more if you like spice)
1 tablespoon Tajin (optional)
Preparation:
Charring the Corn: Brush corn with a light layer of olive oil or melted butter. Char on the grill, turning often until golden/brown, but not black. Alternatively, you can place cobs on a baking try, and broil on high, turning until evenly browned. Timing will vary greatly here, so this is a visual thing and may take some practice. Either way, a little extra char never hurts.
Preparing the Esquites: Now, this prep is admittedly a bit more involved than a traditional street cart presentation which is generally grill-to-cup and has a refreshing crunch and spicy bite to it. My version leverages sautéing the onions and garlic to build a deeper flavor before mixing with the corn, allowing it to both achieve richness and maintain freshness. While your corn is charring, sweat green onions, white onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent but not browning. This should table about 5 minutes and that’s, you can remove from heat. Once corn is charred and has cooled enough to be safe to touch. Carefully use a sharp chef’s or paring knife to remove the kernels from cobs and add to sauté pan. Break up any large pieces with a spatula and combine with the sautéed alliums. While still a little warm, add half of the mayo and mix well (this allows the mayo to liquify and coat all the corn). Spoon into a non-reactive bowl and place in the fridge to cool. You can leave it in the fridge for a few hours if you want to serve the Equites chilled, or just 30 minutes to get them to room temp as I did. While corn chills, blend pepper flakes with olive oil until it forms a red paste. Set aside, you will use this to garnish the final dish. Once at the desired temperature, add tajin, remainder of the mayo, ½ the cotija and mix well. Move to your serving dish and top with the remaining cotija. Drizzle pepper paste on the top of cotija peak and garnish with remaining green onions and sliced Jalapeño.
