Mexican Sweet Corn Dip

This is mid- season for the best local sweet corn. I can’t help but create another recipe featuring it. This one has flavors from south of the border centered around Mexican Street Corn, Elote Mexicano. This treat found at food stalls around Mexico is a grilled or boiled ear of corn, painted with mayonnaise and rolled in cotija cheese. Cotija cheese is a lightly pressed fresh cheese with a bit more flavor and salt than queso fresco, roughly the equivalent of Farmer’s cheese. The prepared corn is often seasoned with chile spice, cilantro and green onion.

In this recipe the corn is grilled on the cob, then cut off and mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle spice, onion and cotija cheese. Perfect for a party or a game-day gathering with chips. This dip can be served with tortilla chips, potato chips, crackers, as a filling for tacos or used like salsa. I like it best served warm or at room temperature. When it’s hot outside, serve it cold for a refreshing bite.

This recipe is easy to make. I like to grill the corn to taste on the fire but it can be boiled, roasted or cut off the cob and cooked in a skillet. If you have Tajin seasoning on hand, a mixture of chili powder and lime, you can sprinkle over the the dip for some color and a spice boost. I use fresh lime juice for a taste of acid to add some tang. I add some cheddar cheese to up the melty cheese texture. If the chipotle powder is too hot substitute smoked paprika or sweet paprika. If you’re unused to grilling corn on the cob, shuck it first then grill it over medium heat, turning it several times during the cooking process. A little color is good but you don’t want to let it char; this makes it bitter and unappealing.

MEXICAN SWEET CORN DIP

Ingredients:

• 4-5 ears grilled corn (about 3 cups kernels)

• ⅓ cup sour cream, or full fat Greek yogurt

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• ½ cup cotija cheese crumbles, lightly packed

• ¼ cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese, lightly packed

• 3 tablespoons minced red onion

• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

• 1 small clove garlic, shaved on a microplane or crushed and minced

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle powder

• 1 small Serrano or jalapeño pepper finely chopped

• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Tortilla chips, grilled bread or stout crackers for dipping and scooping

Method:

• Grill the corn and then cut the kernels off after the cobs have cooled (place a clean kitchen towel on the cutting board to help keep the kernels from scattering)

• Place the cut corn in a sauté pan along with the sour cream, mayonnaise, red onion, garlic, Serrano pepper, chili and chipotle powders

• Warm the mixture through, stirring well to combine. Don’t overheat, just barely a simmer

• Stir in the cheeses, green onion, lime juice and cilantro and stir to combine and to let the cheeses begin to melt into the mixture

• Season with salt and pepper

• Spoon into a heat proof serving dish so that you can keep this warm in a low oven or to reheat during service

Serve with your favorite chips as a snack or appetizer. This makes a terrific salsa for grilled chicken or pork, as a topping for a burrito or in a taco. Have no time on your hands? Make it with frozen corn, sauté the corn in some butter then follow the rest of the recipe. This is a bold addition to the snack table.

Enjoy!