Esquites (Elotes in a Bowl)

Fresh vegetables are usually the basis of side dishes in our house, whether that's roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli, or a salad. As such, vegetables have been the biggest culinary challenge during the pandemic. Since we limit our grocery store trips to every two weeks, any fresh vegetables we have left in the second week usually don't look too great. This is where frozen and canned products have to step in. These are the kind of things "foodies" tend to frown upon, sometimes for good reason. While some frozen vegetables are pretty hard to salvage, others can come to life with a little creativity. Peas, of course, are the staple frozen vegetable, but I've recently started experimenting with corn.

Ariel and I really fell in love with farm fresh sweet corn several years ago. One of the delights of summer in West Lafayette was buying a dozen ears off the back of a truck in the Pizza Hut parking lot. Unfortunately, once corn season is over, what shows up in the grocery store is a real disappointment, and when you can get it, it needs to be eaten immediately. Mexican-style elotes are one my favorite ways to make corn, but they rely on having good-quality corn, access to a grill, and a willingness to get mayo and cream in your beard. The solution: esquites, which are essentially elotes in a cup or bowl. One way to do this is to simply grill some corn and then cut off the kernels. Kenji has an interesting alternative, where he cuts the kernels off of raw corn, then cooks them in a wok. I had this in the back of my mind when trying to come up with a good side a few weeks ago and figured I would give it a go with frozen corn. The result was surprisingly delicious. Not as good as fresh corn by any stretch, but still really, really good. 

Everything in this recipe has a long shelf life, so it's perfect for pandemic cooking, as well as scratching the elotes itch in the winter. Cotija is a great cheese to have on hand. Like other hard, salty cheeses, it lasts for weeks in the refrigerator. The proportions and ingredients can easily be adjusted to taste. For example, I used sour cream because it's easily accessible, but Mexican crema can be used if available. If you have some fresh herbs from the garden, like chives or cilantro, go for it, but they're far from necessary. I served the esquites with adobo chicken quesadillas and a margarita. 

Ingredients

• 12 oz. frozen corn
• 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs. sour cream
• 1 1/2 oz. cotija
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• Lime to taste (about half a lime)
• Vegetable oil
• Choice of chopped herbs (optional)

Instructions

Place the corn in a mesh strainer and run water through it until ice crystals are gone, about 1 minute. Allow the corn to drain for a few minutes. While the corn drains, heat a little oil in a wok over high heat. Add the corn to the wok and stir fry several minutes, until the corn is lightly charred. Toss occasionally to prevent burning.

Transfer the corn to a bowl. Add mayonnaise and sour cream. Crumble in the cotija and add chili powder. If desired, reserve a little chili powder and cheese to sprinkle on top for presentation. Squeeze lime over the corn. Garnish with some chopped herbs if you want to get fancy.