Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) with avocado crema
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I am writing from Harbor Springs, Michigan this weekend. I am here for the Harbor Springs Festival of The Book to talk about Tenderheart. The town is charming, the people are friendly and the weather is (very) warm. Even though the leaves are starting to turn and there are apples growing on the trees, this weekend somehow feels like the early, nascent days of summer when the air is charged with energy and anticipation for what lies ahead.
I’ve never been to Michigan before, and certainly not to this dreamy northern region, where time feels timeless. I’m told there are many who reside here only during the warmer months, returning to their city abodes for the winter. Many are back in town this weekend to attend the festival. There is an impressive line up here: there are Pulitzer Prize winners here, poets, picture book authors, nonfiction writers, and a couple of cookbook authors (myself and Jeanine Donofrio from Love and Lemons). At the centre of it all is a small yet mighty community who have come together over a deep love of books and literature. Thank you, Harbor Springs.
Since I’m on the road and it still feels like the peak of Summer, I am sharing a corn recipe from the exclusive and underground ‘corn chapter’ of Tenderheart which went out to those who claimed the preorder bonus. There is still plenty of corn around - in fact, I got some in my CSA last week so this is a great recipe to use up those excess cobs. If you aren’t somewhere where fresh corn is available, you can use frozen.
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) with avocado crema
© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love
Esquites is a creamy, spiced corn salad that is reminiscent of elote, the beloved Mexican dish of charred corn-on-the-cob slathered in a spicy and creamy sauce. All the elements of elote are here, including the smoky corn which develops complex flavours in a fry pan rather than a hot barbecue. While fresh corn is great for this dish, it is not essential. Frozen, defrosted corn kernels work just as well, making this an excellent pantry dish. While many esquites recipes will include mayonnaise, I’ve skipped that here and included some mashed avocado for a bright creaminess. You can serve this salad in a number of ways – wrap it up in a tortilla, scoop it up with corn chips or cook up some pasta and toss it through for a corny salad.
To veganise this dish, substitute the sour cream with vegan mayonnaise or a plant-based sour cream/yoghurt and omit the cheese.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola or safflower
750g (5 cups) corn kernels (fresh from 6-7 cobs of corn or defrosted from frozen)
sea salt and black pepper
40g (1/3 cup) grated cotija or finely crumbled feta cheese
½ teaspoon chilli powder, cayenne or smoked paprika
coriander/cilantro leaves, to serve
½ lime, cut into wedges, to serve
corn/flour tortillas or corn chips, to serve
Avocado crema
1 large ripe avocado, halved
85g (1/3 cup) sour cream or Mexican crema
small handful (about 30g /1 ounce) coriander/cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
juice of 1-2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Heat a large skillet on medium high. When hot, add oil and the corn kernels. Season with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes, leaving to cook for 2 minutes at a time and then tossing, until the corn is charred. Transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place half of the avocado into a medium bowl and mash it up with a fork. To the avocado, add the sour cream or crema, coriander/cilantro, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, a big pinch of sea salt and some black pepper. Stir to combine. Taste to check that you are happy with the seasonings, adjusting lime, salt and pepper, if needed.
Cut the remaining avocado into cubes. Add this to the corn, along with the avocado crema and toss to combine. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper. To serve, top the corn with cotija or feta cheese, scatter with chilli powder, cayenne or smoked paprika, along with the coriander/cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges on the side, along with your choice of tortillas or corn chips.
スパイシーコーンサラダ、焦げトウモロコシの人気のメキシコ料理✨美味しい匂いが来ています。サワークリームとビーカンマヨ、ヨーグルトをくみあわせます。聞くだけで食べたくなります。塩やチーズにチリパウダーなどいれます。ライスにも合いそうです。色もメキシコ色になっていますね。いただきます。