Pinterest just issued their summer trend report, mentioning that street corn is "in".
There’s a lot to love about elotes, or Mexican street corn. Think grilled corn on the cob fancied up with lime juice, chile powder, and cotija cheese. But, this dish posed two problems for me. First, I don’t have a grill. Second, I really dislike one of the main ingredients: mayonnaise.
The winning sweet, tangy, creamy combo of the other ingredients though was enough to motivate me to revamp this traditional recipe.
I substituted the coconut milk for mayonnaise and it worked like a charm. And even though I roasted the corn instead of grilling it, I was delighted to see a bit of browning similar to grill marks.
I love the dramatic presentation of this side dish as a full corn on the cob with the husks neatly tied back, but you could also stand the corn on end, saw off the kernels, and mix all the ingredients in a bowl for a corn side salad.
Food La La Recipe: Mexican Street Corn
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 ears corn
1 can coconut milk (full fat – must be from a can)
½ cup finely crumbled cotija (or feta)
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 limes (1 squeezed, one reserved for garnish)
2 teaspoons chile powder
Cilantro (for garnish)
Steps:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Peel back husks and remove silk strings from corn.
Leaving the husks attached, tear off one of the longer pieces of husk, and use it to tie all of the husks together for each ear of corn.
Run the husks under water, then, without drying (WHY? #1), wrap entire corn and husk in a piece of foil.
Arrange the four foil-wrapped ears of corn on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Gently open foil packets (steam will be hot—use caution!) and flip corn over. Reseal foil packet and roast for 10 more minutes.
Empty the can of coconut milk into a blender (it’s usually separated into a thick opaque solid and water) and blend for 5-10 seconds until it’s thick and creamy. Do not over blend.
Measure ½ cup of the blended coconut milk (reserve the rest for another use—it’s great in coffee, or could be whipped into whipped cream) and combine with feta, chili powder, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Stir.
Remove corn from oven and carefully open foil packets.
Using a pastry brush, spoon, or clean hands, brush the cheese mixture onto each ear of corn.
Garnish with a wedge of lime, sprinkle of cilantro, and serve immediately.
Psst! A few recipe notes:
WHY? #1: The moisture will keep the husks form burning
Note: To make a corn salad, slice the corn off the cop after step 9, then stir it together with the toppings and serve.
