Sweet corn is the perfect thing to eat right now – seasonal, fresh and perfect with almost nothing added to it. But hey, it's Street Fair Food Week, so we might as well load it up with lots of rich and delicious toppings. What do you say?
You may be familiar with elote, a Mexican sweet corn treat. If not, allow us to introduce you ...
We often see elote vendors at Chicago festivals, flea markets and ballparks – it's also popular in other parts of the United States, and in Mexico. Grilled corn is served up on the cob or freshly sliced into a cup, and topped with a healthy dose of mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, lime juice, salt and spices. Other common toppings include butter and sour cream, and you can usually order it up just the way you like it.
We like the ease of eating it out of a cup when we're on the go, but there's something fun about nibbling right off the cob, and it does tend to stay warm longer that way. At home, it's pretty much the same simple presentation either way – grill corn, load up the toppings and dig in!
Elote
makes 4 servings
4 ears of corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Cotija cheese (Parmesan will work if you can't find it)
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
salt
Prepare a grill or grill pan with high heat. Keep corn in husks, or remove one strip of husks. Place directly on grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until husks are well blackened and the kernels are bright yellow.
If serving on the cob, remove husks and slather each ear with a generous spoonful of mayonnaise. Add the juice of one lime wedge per ear, followed by a pinch of salt, a healthy sprinkle of cheese and a light dusting of cumin and chili powder.
If serving off the cob, cut the kernels off of each ear. Place into a jar or small cup and top with remaining ingredients.
If you prefer, serve the corn with the toppings on the side and let everyone dress their own.
(Images: Joanna Miller)
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
A summertime staple in our house. If you don't have cotija, feta or even parmesan can be used in a pinch to give that salty crearminess. I'll often premix mayo (or sourcream) with the lime juice and tapatio hotsauce for easy slathering hot off the grill. Yum.
view s and the r's profile
Glad you're doing a feature on Street Food Recipes! Here's my take on Elote!
view gabrielaskitchen's profile
traditional LA elote man corn:
Mexican White corn
Mayo
Parmesean
squeezable butter
Pico de Gallo chile powder
Slather with mayo, swirly q around the cob with the butter, sprinkle on the cheese and chile. Eat and be content.
Get a bag of pin wheels soaked in lemon juice and tapatio as a side.
I like the fancy one above too.
view chusmabilly's profile
love the recipes, I actually just had this for the first time in my life at the DC BBQ Festival http://hostessgoddess.com/2009/07/03/dcbbq/
view hostessgoddess's profile
My favorite thing to make in the summer because it's sooo easy and people love it. I gotta agrea with chusmabilly. Use pico de gallo chile powder!
view wanabdomestic's profile
Yum! I usually eat my corn just plain, but I'll have to try this.
view Kakugori's profile
this is the best!! i have had it a cafe havana in nyc, and it is addictive. highly reccomended!! thank you!!
view daisymae's profile
yummy! Gabriela, I live in Tucson and have never known what crema is--is it essentially mayo because it tastes better?!
view jen_g's profile
ahh beat me too it! I've been plotting a post on elote too, since that's been in such heavy rotation in my kitchen this summer. it's soooo addictive...i like to mix the mayo, lime juice, chili powder and cumin together too, for easy slathering. YUM!!!
view EllenFork's profile
I just heard about this kind of corn this weekend and was planning to look this up and here it is! Can't wait to try it.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
I've always heard this called "Oaxacan corn" with the only difference being cooking the corn on a grill with the husks removed so it gets lightly charred and caramelized. Yum!
view home body's profile
Oh. My. GAWRSH. Someone made pretty much this exact type of corn at the pool party I went to last weekend, and it nearly gave me a brain aneurysm, I was so happy to be eating it!! Seriously, it was by far the best corn I've had in my life... except it put me out of commission for like an hour, and I had to take a nap. Talk about food coma.
view Kirby Von Scrumptious's profile
I love eating it off the cob but lots of napkins are necessary! I've walked around with a chile stained face and didn't even know it! I'll eat it in a cup if I'm around people now. hehe
view witchbaby's profile
Look at your waistline before you eat like this. It is true, “you are what you eat”; check it out on BBC America, on Tuesday nights. It may taste good but your heart, liver or lungs do not need this.
view obdimples's profile