Esquites are corn in a cup, sold from steaming pots on street corners all over Mexico City, especially in the evening. The kernels are cooked with butter, onion, chili and the pungent herb epazote, then served in a cup with a spoon and whatever the customer orders on top: lime, mayonnaise, crumbled cheese and powdered chili are the usual answer, and the correct one.

It is the corn on the cob of the capital, minus the challenge of eating it politely. You can hold a cup in one hand and a flag in the other, which is roughly the requirement for food at the Foro Sol stadium section.

The corn

Ingredients

• 6 ears of fresh corn
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) butter
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 serrano chili
• 2 sprigs fresh epazote
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

1. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and serrano and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
2. Add the corn and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes.
3. Add the water, salt and epazote. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

The toppings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Mexican crema
• 3/4 cup (90 g) crumbled cotija
• 2 limes
• chile piquín powder

Method

1. Stir the mayonnaise and crema together in a small bowl.
2. Spoon the hot corn into cups with a little of its broth. Squeeze lime over each, add a spoon of the creamy sauce, a generous handful of cotija and a sprinkle of chili powder.

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