Esquites!

The Esquites at Señor Moose.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, we visited the Zoo yesterday. What I didn't mention was our trip to my favorite mexican restaurant in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Señor Moose. The single solitary reason this place tops my list is for their Esquites, or fried corn. Esquites is classic mexican street food, usually served in a paper cone accompanied by a spoon. It is simply the best mexican dish I've ever had and it is so simple. It may not look like much, but trust me when I tell you to make this dish tonight. You won't regret it. Better yet, visit Señor Moose Cafe.

Esquites

Fresh corn cut from the cob (figure 1-2 cobs per person)
a little oil for sautéing (1tsp per cob)
salt to taste
chili de arbol powder (or cayenne), just eyeball it
1 tbl. mexican crema (or sour cream)
sprinkle of cotija cheese
fresh lime wedges


Cut the corn off the cob directly into a frying pan. Add a small amount of high heat oil such as canola or grape seed. Sauté briefly until corn is warmed through and just beginning to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the chili powder and salt. Top with the crema and cotija cheese. Garnish with the lime wedges. Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the Esquites just before eating. Serve with tortilla chips. Yum!


Note - traditional esquites is made with epizote, a mexican spice/herb. It can be difficult to find and use if you aren't familiar with it. If you need a little fresh green, I'd add cilantro.