A Pati Jinich Recipe
Cooked and Seasoned Corn
Esquites
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon safflower or corn oil
- 1 serrano chile, or more to taste, chopped (seeding optional for less heat)
- 8 cups fresh corn kernels, from about 12 ears of corn
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons fresh epazote leaves, chopped, or 1 whole leave dried, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or more to taste
- 2 limes, or about 4 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Mexican cream
- 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija fresco, or añejo cheese
- Dried ground Piquín chile, to taste
To Prepare
- Melt the butter together with the oil on a cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chiles and let them cook for about 20 to 30 seconds, moving them around.
- Incorporate the corn, chopped fresh epazote leaves or dried epazote leaf, water and salt. Stir it all up and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, bring heat to medium-low and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the corn is cooked but still tender. Turn off the heat. You may leave the corn in the pot for a couple hours.
- Serve corn in cups or small bowls. Let your guests add to their liking the fresh limejuice, mayonnaise or Mexican cream, crumbled cheese, powdered chile piquín and salt.
- You may also cook the whole corn in salted water with the epazote leaves. Once it is cooked and ready, garnish with the same ingredients.
