Here’s a recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad. I’ve never had street corn in Mexico but my sister in law tells me the corn in Mexico is not the same as corn here, hence the name “street” corn.
This recipe is easy to change to suit your family’s tastes. You can leave out the jalapeño entirely if you don’t want the salad to be too spicy, you can cut out the seeds and ribs— which is where most of the heat is—if you want it a little spicy, or leave the seeds and ribs in if you want it very spicy. You can even add additional jalapeños to make it spicier.
Some people don’t like cilantro and they can’t help it. That can be replaced with parsley.
You can also add a can of rinsed black beans or chopped radishes.
If you can’t find cotija cheese you can substitute feta. Cotija is just the Mexican version of feta anyway.
I have found an easy way to cut the kernels of corn off a cob by using a bundt pan. Stand one end of the ear of corn in the middle and the kernels will fall into the pan instead of scattering all over the place.
Esquites – Mexican Street Corn Salad
4 cups corn (about 5 ears), cut from the cob
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1/2 avocado, chopped
4 tbsp lime juice (from about 2 limes) and zest
1/2 tsp cumin ground
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper ground
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sour cream (or yogurt)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 cup cotija cheese (or feta), crumbled
Cut the corn off the cob. I used 5 ears to get about 4 cups. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and stir it around. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the corn starts to char, which is why we're using high heat. Transfer the corn to a large bowl and let it cool for a couple minutes. To the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything together until well combined. Adjust lime juice and salt and pepper as necessary. To serve, garnish with additional cheese and cilantro, if desired. —kwc—
America’s Test Kitchen came up with a foolproof way to make corn on the cob. I like their recipes because they test them a million times and explain the science behind the cooking.
Corn on the Cob
6 ears of corn, husks and silk removed
Unsalted butter, softened
Salt and pepper
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Turn off heat, add corn to water, cover, and let stand for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes if needed. Transfer corn to large platter and serve immediately, passing butter, salt, and pepper separately. —kwc—
And one more. I have made this one and it’s delicious and summery.
Summer Tomatoes, Corn, Crab and Avocado Salad
12 oz lump crab meat
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 hass avocado, diced
2 hot peppers, such as serrano or jalapeños, diced fine (seeds removed for mild)
1-1/2 cups roasted corn kernels
1/3 cup chopped red onion
Juice of 2 limes (or more to taste)
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least five minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion. In a large bowl combine chopped crab meat, avocado, tomatoes, hot pepper and corn. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. Adjust lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
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