Mexican Street Corn Salad/Dip (Esquites)

This recipe!! Wow!! Esquites (a new word for me) was brought to a little gathering to be shared and I absolutely had to know how to make it. We ate it as a dip with tortilla chips, but it can also be served as a salad . . . just bring me a spoon - I think I could eat the whole bowl, it is so good!

A little research revealed that Esquites are the salad form of Elotes, a charcoal-grilled Mexican corn on the cob that is slathered with a creamy sauce, seasoned with chile powder and lime juice and topped with Cotija, a crumbly, aged Mexican cheese. That sounds pretty good too 😆, will add that one to the list to try!

The recipe goes together easily, the corn taking the most time as I boiled the ears first, then charred them on the grill. After that it takes a while for the corn to cool down enough to handle, although you could set the cooked corn in the frig or freezer to cool faster. I’ve also learned that Trader Joe’s has frozen roasted corn kernels . . . will be trying that next time 😁.

It must be a good year for corn, every time I have bought corn recently it has been perfect. And now a new way to serve it! Go ahead, try it on your friends and family, just be prepared to share the recipe!

INGREDIENTS -

4-5 ears of corn
Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp jalapeno, minced, more if you dare!
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated cojita cheese

Boil the corn for about 4-5 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and place it on a preheated grill. Grill for about 2-3 minutes then rotate the corn, continuing to do this until is it charred lightly all around. Remove the corn from the grill and set it aside to cool. It was nice weather when I made this so the grill was easily accessible, but I’m already planning for less than perfect outdoor weather and going to try to char the corn on a hot cast iron skillet. (Or buy the frozen variety at Trader Joe’s 😉)

While you are waiting for the corn to cool, prepare the additional ingredients and place them in a large bowl. I am not a fan of spicy so 1 teaspoon of jalapeno was perfect for me, you may want to add more to suit your taste.

When the corn can be handled, stand it on end and cut the kernels off with a sharp knife. Break up any large pieces if needed, and add the corn to the other ingredients.

Stir everything together gently with a spatula. Serve as a salad side dish or with a bowl of tortilla chips for dipping.

Can you say delicious? Enjoy!