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Spicy, creamy, and full of flavor, Mexican Esquites is sure to be a part of your Cinco De Mayo celebration every year! Frozen corn is charred in the oven with red onion and jalapeno before being mixed in a spicy, tangy dressing and garnished with a refreshing lime and cayenne aioli.
I’m planning on celebrating Cinco De Mayo this year with an assortment of Chips And Dips, homemade Guacamole, Flavorful Chicken Fajitas, and a pitcher of Classic Cadillac Margaritas. Then for desserts, Strawberry Cheesecake Paletas are on the menu!
I recently took a Virgin Voyages five-night cruise on the Scarlet Lady ship. After swearing off cruising, I was pleasantly surprised by Virgin. The fact that all tips are already built into your fare was a nice touch, as was the adults-only atmosphere. But what really differentiates a Virgin cruise is the food. Oh, the food!
First, forget about the stuffy dining room where you are forced into one of two time slots to dine upon mass-produced, institutional-style food that is somewhat lacking. Also, you can wear what you want to dinner – there is no formal night, no themed nights. There is a ‘Scarlet Night’ where you are asked to wear red and enjoy the party around the ship.
Instead, you will be given the opportunity to enjoy everything from Korean barbecue to molecular gastronomy from one of nine restaurants. It was difficult to decide which was my favorite. I was a fan of the freshly made sushi in the Galley ‘cafeteria’. Loved the Korean barbecue and the freshly made pasta at the Italian trattoria. And the pizza flatbreads were some of the best that I’ve ever had.
I learned that I am a very adventurous eater with varied tastes. In the Test Kitchen, I discovered that asparagus sorbet with champagne ice cream is a delicious, grassy, palate cleanser that will leave you wanting just one more bite; corn can be consumed as a mousse, a saute, a crumble, and a bread; and beetroot foam is off the charts amazing!
But by far, I was addicted to the fare at the Pink Taco Mexican restaurant. Forget about the cheesy, fatty, Tex-Mex dishes. You won’t find queso on this menu. You will, however, enjoy the real deal, authentic cuisine that you might find at the best place in Mexico City.
One of my favorite dishes at the Pink Taco was their Esquites With Spicy Aioli. It was incredible. The dish was also included as a brunch item as part of a workshop that I took called ‘Plate Snap Eat’. In the class, we learned about styling a plate of food, how to snap a photo, and then we were able to eat! After devouring my bowl of the esquites, I knew that I had to create something similar at home.
The word ‘esquites’ comes from the Nahuatl word for toasted corn, izquitl. The Aztecs have a legend that the dish was created by Tiazocihualpili, a woman who ruled the Xochimilcas. It was eaten while celebrating the goddess, Cihuapipitin, who took care of and looked after women who passed during childbirth.
Another theory is that in the late 1800s, Emperor Maximillian and Empress Carlota of Mexico were making French recipes. Mistakenly they used corn flour instead of wheat flour, thus creating a new variety of Mexican dishes with French names. They are believed to be responsible for adding cheese and mayonnaise to the classic esquites.
Spicy, creamy, and full of flavor, Mexican Esquites is sure to be a part of your Cinco De Mayo celebration every year! Frozen corn is charred in the oven with red onion and jalapeno before being mixed in a spicy, tangy dressing and garnished with a refreshing lime and cayenne aioli.
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the aioli ingredients until well combined.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill until ready to plate.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Place the onion quarters and the jalapeno peppers on the baking sheet.
Dump the corn kernels into a large bowl.
Drizzle the olive oil over the corn.
Sprinkle the cumin, paprika, salt, and chili powder over the corn and toss to coat the kernels with the oil and spices.
Spread the corn out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven, tossing the corn occasionally, until the vegetables are all a bit charred – about 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Mexican crema, and lime juice until well combined.
When cool enough to handle, chop the onions and add them to a large bowl.
Remove the seeds and veins from the jalapenos before chopping them and adding them to the bowl with the onions.
Dump the charred corn into the bowl.
Spoon the crema mixture over the vegetables and toss until fully coated.
Sprinkle in the cilantro and most of the cheese. Reserve some cheese as a garnish.
Toss until well mixed.
On a plate, dollop some of the spicy lime aioli and then drag the back of a spoon through the aioli creating a decorative smear.
Use an ice cream scoop to portion out the esquites and place the mounded esquites beside the smear on the plate.
Sprinkle with some of the remaining cheese and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
Serve at room temperature.
