Roasted Mexican street corn in a creamy, cheesy sauce seasoned with chile and lime.
Servings: 10 servings
Roasted corn kernels cut from the cob in a creamy, cheesy sauce seasoned with chile and lime and served in cups. This recipe is inspired by Elote en Vaso which are sold by local street vendors and snack shops.
Ingredients
- Kernels from 8 ears of fresh corn about 4 cups
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 five-ounce can evaporated milk
- juice from two large limes
- 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise like Dukes or Hellmann’s
- 1/2 cup grated cotija cheese divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh or freeze dried chives for garnish
- Tajin or other chile-lime spice blend, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet, such as cast-iron, over high heat. Sauté the corn kernels in the butter until they are soft and starting to brown, about 2-3 minutes. You might have to do this in two or three batches. Salt and pepper the corn to taste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- Add the lime juice, mayonnaise, evaporated milk and half of the cotija cheese to corn. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Transfer to individual serving cups and top with a generous portion of cotija cheese. Garnish with chives, and a sprinkling of Tajin.
Notes
In a pinch you can use frozen corn kernels, preferably Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn. Just rinse them under cold water for a couple of minutes to defrost, then drain. Be sure to use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. The two are easy to confuse.
This dish is very rich, a little goes a long way. I served this in two-ounce plastic cups that I got at the dollar store.
Here's how to cut corn from cob.
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