The first time I had elote or Mexican street corn was a few years ago. I was on a business trip to Arizona with Eric. We went to a highly rated Mexican Restaurant Eric had been to on a previous trip to the regional office he was visiting. The wait staff suggested an order of the street corn for an appetizer. It was absolutely delicious and I could have eaten the entire dish (or two!) of it on my own. Seeing how much I loved it, Eric was willing to let me eat most of it. After all, he had gone there for the tacos. That was a great gastronomic experience!
Once home, I spent a good deal of time looking for a recipe to duplicate the elote served at Barrio Queen. I passed up many recipes in an effort to avoid the mayonnaise that was part of them all. (I’m not a huge fan of mayo.) In the recipes I did chose to try, I substituted most, if not all of the mayo out, with (not surprisingly) unsatisfactory results. Eventually, I accepted that the only way to duplicate wonderful Mexican street corn is to go ahead and use the mayo. I am happy to report, I have found an elote recipe to make at home, that I love, mayo included. But that will not preclude me from ordering it and enjoying it at Barrio Queen next time we are in Scottsdale!
Corn & Peppers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo
Corn & Peppers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 ears of corn
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 jalapeño peppers, halved & seeded, then sliced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- queso fresco or cotija cheese crumbles for serving, if desired
Directions:
Shuck the corn and remove the silk. With a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the cobb, setting them aside and reserving the cobs.
Remove the kernels from the cobs.
In a medium saucepan, simmer the corn cobs in 1 cup of water until the broth has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the cobs. Set it aside.
Simmer the cobs in water.
Using a wand blender, combine the mayonnaise with the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Season it with salt to taste. (This step can also be performed using a traditional blender.)
Put together the cilantro-lime mayo.
Blend it using a wand blender.
In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil until smoking. Add the corn kernels and peppers and season them with salt. Cover and cook the veggies over moderately high heat until the corn starts to pop, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the corn, then cover and continue to cook it until the corn is lightly charred, about 2 minutes longer.
Cook the corn & peppers.
Add the corn broth and simmer the mixture until the broth is nearly evaporated. Stir in the butter. Season the corn and peppers with additional salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the broth and cook until it is mostly evaporated, then add the butter.
Transfer the corn and peppers to a serving bowl and drizzle with some of the cilantro-lime mayonnaise.
Transfer the corn & peppers to a serving bowl and drizzle with the mayo.
Serve with additional sauce and queso fresco or cotija cheese, if desired.
Summer deliciousness!
Corn, peppers, & cilantro are staples of our Summer! ~Linda
Corn & Peppers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 ears of corn
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 jalapeño peppers, halved & seeded, then sliced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- queso fresco or cotija cheese crumbles for serving, if desired
Directions:
Shuck the corn and remove the silk. With a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the cobb, setting them aside and reserving the cobs.
In a medium saucepan, simmer the corn cobs in 1 cup of water until the broth has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the cobs. Set it aside.
Using a wand blender, combine the mayonnaise with the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Season it with salt to taste. (This step can also be performed using a traditional blender.)
In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil until smoking. Add the corn kernels and peppers and season them with salt. Cover and cook the veggies over moderately high heat until the corn starts to pop, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the corn, then cover and continue to cook it until the corn is lightly charred, about 2 minutes longer. Add the corn broth and simmer the mixture until the broth is nearly evaporated. Stir in the butter. Season the corn and peppers with additional salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer the corn and peppers to a serving bowl and drizzle with some of the cilantro-lime mayonnaise. Serve with additional sauce and queso fresco or cotija cheese, if desired.