Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Salon
Salon
Lifestyle
Mary Elizabeth Williams

A spicy taste of Mexican street corn

Elote Mary Elizabeth Williams
You don’t need an expensive new piece of equipment, or an obscure ingredient you have to hunt for. You just need a fresh way of preparing an old favorite. In "One Way," we’ll revisit classic ingredients and dishes, giving them a new twist with an easy technique you haven’t tried before.

Among the many wonders of Sedona are the spectacular red rocks and vortexes. There's also the Elote Cafe, an award-winning local restaurant that draws devoted fans from around the world for its fresh and modern takes on traditional Mexican cuisine.

I didn't actually get to savor the joy of Elote Cafe and its namesake street corn when I was recently in Sedona. In fact, I couldn't get near it, because reservations were booked a solid six weeks out.

RELATED:  "Stroganachos" are a sheet pan twist on two classics — and an easy dinner that's ready in 30 minutes

I did, however, spend my evenings downstairs at my own hotel drinking spicy margaritas as I ate their kitchen's zippy version of elote. It was perfection, as only a meal made of corn, scooped up by more corn can be. 

At home, I can pull together a weeknight knockoff version of this dish, thanks to Elote chef Jeff Smedstad's own recipe and Food52's brilliant tip of roasting a bag of ordinary supermarket frozen corn. It's not the same as a night under the Arizona stars, but it absolutely livens up a dreary spring evening. While it's technically an appetizer, I serve this elote with a big, simple salad and call it dinner. A shot of tequila in some grapefruit soda makes a zero effort prelude.

***

Recipe: Weeknight Elote
Inspired by Elote Cafe and Food52

Yields
4-6 servings
Prep Time
 10 minutes
Cook Time
 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 12-ounce bag frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon (or more!) hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth 
  • 1⁄4 cup Cotija cheese 
  • Chopped cilantro for garnish
  • Corn chips

Directions

  1. Preheat the broiler. Spread the corn out on a sheet pan. Broil, stirring once or twice, for 8 to 10 minutes. The corn should be just browned.
  2. Meanwhile, warm the broth in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  3. Add the corn, stirring until evenly combined and warmed. 
  4. Serve topped with the Cotija and cilantro, plus loads of chips for scooping.

 


Cook's Notes

No Cotija? Try crumbled feta or ricotta salata.

If you don't have any limes on hand, fresh lemon juice works just fine.


Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter.


More appetizers that double as dinner: 

Salon Food writes about stuff we think you'll like. Salon has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.