Esquites (Mexican corn in a cup)
Sautéed sweetcorn served in a cup with mayonnaise, cheese and lime, as at Mexican street stalls, where the smoked garlic salt mimics the char of the griddle.
20 min · Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500 g sweetcorn kernels (fresh, frozen or tinned and drained)
- 20 g butter
- 100 ml water
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 60 g crumbled queso fresco or feta
- 1 lime
- 1 tsp Xalte Smoked Garlic salt
- Chilli powder or paprika to taste
Method
- 1Prepare the sweetcorn: if it is tinned, drain it in a colander; if it is frozen, put it in the colander under the cold tap for 1 minute to defrost it, then drain. Pat it dry with kitchen paper, because wet corn will not brown.
- 2Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, until it foams.
- 3Add the sweetcorn, spread it across the whole pan and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring only once a minute. It is ready when some kernels have golden patches and it smells toasted.
- 4Pour in the water, sprinkle over the teaspoon of Xalte Smoked Garlic salt and stir. Cook for 5 more minutes, until almost no liquid is left in the pan and the corn is tender.
- 5Meanwhile, crumble the cheese with your fingers and cut the lime in half.
- 6Divide the hot corn between four cups or small bowls. Top each one with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and a quarter of the cheese.
- 7Squeeze the lime over the four cups and finish with a pinch of chilli powder or paprika, more or less depending on how hot you like it. Serve with a spoon and stir before eating.
