Esquites in a Cup with Epazote, Cotija & Chile Lime

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The corn cup you eat standing up at a night market: kernels blistered hard in a screaming-hot skillet with butter, onion and epazote, then folded off the heat with a tangy mayo-crema dressing, crumbled cotija, lime and a heavy dust of chile. Served warm and loose in cups with a spoon, exactly the way it's scooped from a steaming pot on the street.

Ingredients

• 6 ears fresh corn, husked (about 5 cups kernels)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1 serrano chile, minced (seeds left in for heat)
• 2 sprigs fresh epazote, leaves stripped and chopped (or 2 tbsp chopped cilantro stems)
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup water or light chicken broth

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with 1 tsp water)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 tsp garlic, grated to a paste

• 3/4 cup cotija cheese, finely crumbled
• 1 1/2 tsp ground chile piquín, ancho or árbol powder, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 tsp chile-lime seasoning such as Tajín (optional)
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Cut the kernels from the corn: stand each ear in a wide bowl, slice down the sides with a chef's knife, then scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife to release the milky pulp — that pulp is what makes esquites creamy, so keep it. You want about 5 cups of kernels. (Frozen corn works: thaw 5 cups and pat very dry, or the skillet will steam instead of char.)
2. Make the dressing while the pan heats. Whisk the mayonnaise, crema, lime juice, lime zest and grated garlic in a medium bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until a drop of water skitters and evaporates instantly. Add the oil, then half the corn in a single layer. Do not stir for 2 to 3 minutes — let it blister and speckle brown-black. Toss once and cook 2 minutes more, then scrape into a bowl. Repeat with the remaining corn (no extra oil needed). Working in two batches is the difference between charred corn and boiled corn.
4. Return all the corn to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter, onion, serrano, epazote and salt. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent at the edges but still has a bite.
5. Pour in the water or broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, letting the liquid pick up the browned bits. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes until the pan is nearly dry and the corn looks glossy. Pull off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes — off-heat matters, or the dressing will break.
6. Scrape the warm corn into the bowl of dressing along with 1/2 cup of the cotija and 1 teaspoon of the chile powder. Fold with a spatula until every kernel is coated and just loose enough to spoon. Taste and correct with salt and a squeeze of lime; it should be sharp, salty and a little spicy.
7. Divide among four 8-ounce cups, tumblers or paper cones. Top each with the remaining cotija, a heavy dusting of the remaining chile powder and the Tajín if using, a pinch of cilantro, and a lime wedge on the rim. Serve warm with spoons, and squeeze the lime over just before eating.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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