Ingredients
Corn
- 4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels 600 g; about 4–6 ears depending on size
- 3 cups water 720 ml; add more as needed to cover the corn
- 1 small sprig fresh epazote optional, about 3 g
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 3 g
Toppings
- 1/4 cup regular mayonnaise 60 g
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco made with pasteurized milk 60 g
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 30 g
- 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 g; adjust heat to taste
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan with a lid
- 1 sharp knife and stable cutting board
- 1 ladle
- 4 heatproof serving cups or small bowls
Instructions
Cook and assemble
- Remove corn husks and silk. Trim the cob ends flat, stand each securely on a cutting board, and carefully cut off the kernels without cutting deeply into the cob. Measure 600 g of kernels.
- Put the corn, water and optional epazote in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover the kernels by about 1 inch if needed. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook gently for about 20–25 minutes, or until the corn is tender. Add hot water if the level drops too far.
- Remove any tough epazote stem. Stir in the salt and taste a cooled spoonful of broth. Keep the seasoning modest because the cheese adds salt.
- Divide the corn among four heatproof cups or bowls with enough broth to moisten it generously. Leave room for stirring. Divide the lime juice, mayonnaise and queso fresco among the cups, then sprinkle with chili powder. Serve immediately with spoons.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (1/4 batch)Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 29.5gProtein: 7.9gFat: 16.9gSaturated Fat: 4.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 536mgPotassium: 446mgFiber: 3.2gSugar: 10gCalcium: 92mgIron: 0.9mg
Video
Notes
Video credit: chef Rick Bayless, Esquites: Two Ways. This card follows the brothy style he demonstrates, using U.S. sweet corn. His video also shows a fried version. Topping amounts and batch size vary; use this card's quantities for these four portions.
Nutrition is an ingredient-sum estimate per cup using USDA SR Legacy corn 169998 (600 g), salt 173468 (3 g), mayonnaise 171009 (60 g), queso fresco 172223 (60 g), lime juice 168156 (30 g) and chili powder 171319 (2 g), divided by four. Optional epazote is excluded because its detailed sugar and fatty-acid data are incomplete. Additional toppings change the estimate. Cooking-sensitive vitamins and unavailable trans fat are omitted. Cost varies and is not estimated.
Store corn and toppings separately when possible. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below; use cooked corn within 3–4 days, respecting shorter topping-label instructions. Reheat corn and broth to 165°F (74°C) before adding toppings.
