Corn Esquites Recipes

ESQUITES RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium-high heat, melt the butter in a skillet. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook until transparent.
• Add the corn and epazote (if using), serrano pepper, and 1/3 water. Stir and cover to cook, stirring occasionally. It will take between 6-8 minutes to cook. Check for doneness and do not overcook, corn kernels should be firm.
• Season with salt and serve in 4 cups. Top with cream and/or mayonnaise and cheese. If you don't want to use the serrano peppers and use cayenne or chili powder instead, then add it at this point with some lime juice.

ESQUITES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Once melted, add the corn and the salt (if using frozen corn, no need to defrost first). Cook, stirring just every minute or so, until the corn is warmed through and turning golden on the edges, about 5 to 8 minutes (turn the heat down to low if the corn starts jumping out of the pan).
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then remove the skillet from the heat. Let the corn cool for a few minutes, then transfer it to a medium mixing bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl (the mayonnaise, optional jalapeño, lime juice, chili powder, optional cayenne, cheese and cilantro). Stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed.
• To serve, divide the mixture between small cups and garnish individual servings with a wedge of lime, perhaps a sprinkle of additional cheese and chili powder. Leftovers keep well, refrigerated, for about 4 days.

ESQUITES (MEXICAN CORN)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn and epazote. Cook, stirring frequently, until cooked to your preference, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine crema and lemon juice in a bowl; season with salt. Mix crema into the hot corn and transfer mixture to a serving dish. Let cool to room temperature.
• Sprinkle Cotija cheese and chipotle powder on top of corn and serve with lime wedges.

CREAMY CORN CUPS ("ESQUITES")

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the corn to a platter and allow them to cool slightly. Using a serrated knife, remove the kernels from the corn. Divide the corn between 4 individual cups or small glasses. Put 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon butter in each glass. Sprinkle with cheese, chili powder, and salt. Serve with the lime wedges, if desired.

ESQUITES

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in a large bowl and stir well. Leaving corn in husks, soak for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for low heat with mesquite chips in the wood box. Lightly oil the grate.
• Grill corn, still in husks, for 45 minutes. Remove from grill and let cool before shucking.
• Cut corn from the cobs and combine with chili powder. Saute corn kernels in a skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently, until you see come charring, about 5 minutes.
• Add cotija cheese, crema, cilantro, and salt and cook until warmed through, about 4 more minutes. Spritz with lime juice and serve immediately.

ESQUITES

Steps:

• Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and pepper and saute until tender. Add water and corn. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender (about 5-8 minutes).
• Season with black pepper and a little salt and divide among 4 cups.
• To each cup add 1 heaping teaspoon of mayonnaise and 1 heaping teaspoon of Mexican crema (or sour cream). Stir to combine.
• Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and chili powder, to taste. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on top. Enjoy immediately.

MEXICAN STREET CORN SALAD (ESQUITES RECIPE)

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until hot and sizzling. When sizzling, add the onion, garlic, and chiles and sautee until soft and fragrant.
• If using fresh or frozen corn: add the corn and cook for 5-6 minutes, then pour in the water, add the epazote (if using) and season with salt. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the kernels are nice and soft.If using canned corn: add the corn, season with salt and sautee for 6-7 minutes or until fragrant.
• Remove from the skillet, serve in cups or in a large serving platter and top with mayonnaise, cheese, lime juice and chile powder or hot sauce. Serve hot!

ESQUITES

Steps:

• Make the spice blend: Combine the salt, chili powder, ancho powder, paprika, garlic, guajillo powder and lime zest in a small bowl; set aside.
• Make the crema: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend in a medium bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the corn: Heat a grill to high. Brush the corn with vegetable oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Cut the kernels off the cobs and transfer to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the crema, 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend and the cotija and cilantro; stir to combine. Top with more cotija and cilantro and sprinkle with more of the spice blend. Serve with lime wedges.

ESQUITES CON SALSA DE TOTOPOS

Steps:

• Esquites
• Bring a large stockpot of generously salted water to a boil. Place corn in pot, cover with a heavy plate to keep corn submerged, and remove pot from heat. Let corn sit until kernels are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer corn to a large bowl; let cool.
• Stir crema, mayonnaise, and 2 Tbsp. water in a medium bowl to combine, then mix in Cotija; season with salt. Cover and chill crema mixture until ready to serve.
• Salsa and assembly
• Crush tortilla chips very coarsely in a large resealable plastic bag. Set aside.
• Remove stems from guajillo and árbol chiles. Cut open with kitchen shears and scrape out most of the seeds and strings with your hands (wear disposable food-grade gloves if you have them). Break chiles into about ¼" pieces.
• Heat oil over low in a medium saucepan. Drop in a peanut and when oil starts bubbling gently around it, carefully add remaining peanuts. Cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add chiles and cook, stirring, until chiles starting to darken and puff, about 1 minute. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a food processor and process until peanuts and chiles are finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add sesame seeds, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton salt, and reserved tortilla chips. Pulse 3 times, just to combine (you want to preserve texture of sesame seeds and chips). Transfer salsa to a medium bowl and let cool. (The chile-peanut mixture will sink to the bottom while the chips stay afloat.)
• Cut corn in half crosswise and stand upright. Slice away kernels in wide sheets with a sharp knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Transfer corn to a large platter. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. lime juice over and sprinkle with salt. Spoon reserved crema mixture on top, then spoon ½ cup salsa over, making sure to dig out some chile-peanut mixture along with some chips; reserve remaining salsa for another use. Drizzle remaining lime juice over. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Do ahead: Salsa (without chips) can be made 1 month ahead. Cover and chill. Add chips up to 1 day ahead.

ESQUITES RECIPE (MEXICAN CORN OFF THE COB)

Steps:

• Enjoy warm or at room temperature. The corn can be cooked up to a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for about 15 minutes before assembling the salad. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

CORN ESQUITES

Steps:

• Remove the kernels from the ears of corn until you have filled 4 cups. In a large skillet over a medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the jalapeño pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the corn kernels and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for around 10 to 15 minutes, until the kernels are golden in color. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Pour the kernels into a large mixing bowl and add the crumbled queso fresco, Mexican crema, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and chili powder. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Serve with garnishes of your choice, such as crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro and cayenne pepper