Kitchen · Mexico City · Mexico

Esquites

After dark, the corn carts take over Mexico City's street corners: steam, lime and a vendor who asks "¿con todo?" before you've decided anything. Esquites are corn in a cup, eaten standing up, on the go.

• OriginMexico City · Mexico
• Time25 min
• Servings4

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn (about 600 g kernels), kernels cut off
• 2 tbsp butter or lard
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• 1–2 serrano chillies, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs epazote, chopped (or a small handful of coriander if you can't find it)
• 500 ml water
• 1 tsp salt
• To serve: 4 tbsp mayonnaise, 60 g crumbled cotija cheese, ground chilli (piquín or ancho), 2 limes cut into wedges

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and serrano for 3 minutes.
2. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until it starts to take colour.
3. Add the water, salt and epazote. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, until the corn is tender and you're left with a little flavourful broth.
4. Spoon the corn with some broth into cups.
5. Top each cup with mayonnaise, cotija, ground chilli and a good squeeze of lime.

Variations

Elote is the same idea on the cob. Some stalls toast the kernels on a griddle instead of simmering them, and some add tuétano (bone marrow) or chicken feet to the pot.

Local tip: Ask for it "con todo" (with everything), then decide how much chilli you can handle.

Allergens: egg (mayonnaise); milk (butter, cotija).

Educational information about food and cooking, not medical or nutritional advice. Check the allergens on each recipe and on product labels, and adapt the recipes to your needs.