Ingredients
Corn
- 4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels cut from about 6 husked ears; measure after cutting
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 0.25 cup white onion finely chopped
- 1 serrano chile optional; seeded and finely chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh epazote optional; remove before serving
- 1 cup water
- 0.25 tsp fine salt
Toppings
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 0.25 cup Cotija cheese finely crumbled
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice about 1 lime
- 0.25 tsp ground chile piquin divide between cups; use less for milder heat
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan with lid
- 1 Wide bowl
- 1 Stable cutting board and chef's knife
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Set measuring cups and spoons
- 4 Serving cups or small bowls
Instructions
Prepare and cook
- Stand each husked corn ear upright in a wide bowl on a stable cutting board and carefully slice downward to remove the kernels; measure 4 cups.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and optional chopped serrano; cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes until softened without browning.
- Add the measured corn, water, salt, and optional epazote sprigs. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 8–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet corn is tender with a little bite. Add a small splash of water if the pan dries before the corn is tender. Remove the epazote sprigs.
- Divide the warm corn and a little cooking liquid between 4 cups. Top each with one-quarter of the mayonnaise, Cotija, lime juice, and chile piquin. Serve immediately with spoons.
Video
Notes
Estimated cost: USD $5.25 for the whole recipe, about $1.31 per snack portion. Illustrative US grocery portion costs: corn $3.00, butter $0.13, onion $0.20, serrano $0.15, epazote $0.25, mayonnaise $0.20, Cotija $0.80, lime $0.40, salt and chile $0.12. Prices vary; this is not a live store quote.
Contains milk and usually egg from mayonnaise. Refrigerate within 2 hours; keep corn and toppings separately where possible. Use within 3–4 days and reheat corn until thoroughly hot.
Instructional video: Jauja Cocina Mexicana, Esquites de Elote, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2KnURjzqao. Original provider uploadDate verified: 2015-04-05T04:14:51-07:00. The video shows the same warm corn-cup method and characteristic toppings; this card specifies US sweet corn, measured lighter toppings, and optional epazote/serrano. Watch-page playback verified; provider's embed option available, but embed preview remained black and actual embed playback is unverified. Native emitted uploadDate and VideoObject count remain unverified.
