I had a great meal at Chicheria Mexican Kitchen. The sweet corn esquites was particularly tasty and reminded me of the delicious street food in Mexico. Will they share the recipe?
— Susan Dugan, Decatur
Juan Hormiga, executive chef of Chicheria Mexican Kitchen, provided the recipe for the restaurant’s sweet corn esquites, one of nine shareable dishes on the menu.
Preparing the dish is a multistage process. Fresh corn is grilled, then kernels are cut off the cob. The cobs are used to make a corn and poblano crema which is combined with the grilled kernels in the finished dish.
Chicheria Mexican Kitchen’s Sweet Corn Esquites
- Oil for lubricating grill grates
- 6 ears fresh corn, husked and silks removed
- 1 cup Corn and Poblano Crema (see recipe)
- 2 tablespoons Chipotle Crema (see recipe)
- 2 tablespoons queso fresco
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 lime wedges
- Heat grill to 350 degrees. When grill is hot, lightly oil grill grate. Grill corn, turning until lightly charred on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Remove corn from grill and cut off kernels. Put kernels in a large bowl and set aside. Use cobs to make Corn and Poblano Crema.
- In a large skillet over low heat, combine reserved corn kernels and Corn and Poblano Crema and cook 5 minutes or until warm, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with Chipotle Crema, sprinkle with queso fresco and smoked paprika. Serve with lime wedges.
Serves 6.
Per serving: 377 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 12 grams protein, 51 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams total sugars, 12 grams fiber, 18 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 32 milligrams cholesterol, 112 milligrams sodium.
Corn and Poblano Crema
This recipe makes more crema than is needed for the esquites. Hormiga suggests serving leftover crema as a sauce for sautéed vegetables or plain rice, or cooking mushrooms in it as a filling for tacos.
If you have a sensitivity to peppers, consider using rubber gloves when handling the poblanos and always keep your hands away from your eyes when working with hot peppers.
- 1 1/2 pounds diced yellow onions (about 3 medium onions)
- 1 pound poblanos, stems and seeds removed, diced
- Reserved corn cobs from Sweet Corn Esquites recipe, broken in half
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 pound garlic cloves, minced (about 10 large cloves)
- In a large saucepan, combine onions, poblanos, corn cobs, milk, cream and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease heat to medium-low and let mixture simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and let cool 20 minutes, then strain mixture into a bowl and discard solids.
- If making ahead, transfer to an airtight container and store, refrigerated, for up to one week.
Makes 2 cups.
Per 1/3 cup: 496 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 16 grams protein, 63 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams total sugars, 19 grams fiber, 25 grams total fat (12 grams saturated), 57 milligrams cholesterol, 103 milligrams sodium.
Chipotle Crema
Leftover crema can be used to dress pasta or potato salads.
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 canned chipotle plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- In the jar of a blender, combine mayonnaise, cream, chipotle and adobo sauce. Process on high speed until smooth. Refrigerate, covered, for up to one week.
Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Per tablespoon: 35 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, 3 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 81 milligrams sodium.
From the menu of … Chicheria Mexican Kitchen, 202 Chattahoochee Row, Atlanta; 404-343-0134, chicheriamx.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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