Elote Wedge Salad

This salad is a combination of two of my favorite things: elote, also known as Mexican street corn, and the classic wedge salad. This elegant plate has all the flavors of an excellent ear of elote or cup of esquites, making it a perfect starter to a Mexican-themed dinner. Buttery corn with garlic, chile, cilantro, and cotija is spread over a cool, crisp wedge of iceberg lettuce and finished with a dressing made from creamy mayonnaise, tangy sour cream, aromatic cumin, sour lime, and just a touch of sugar to balance it out. All together, it is a stunning and delicious take on two beloved classics.

Now, I don’t think I need to get out here and defend elote. Given how widespread it has become these days, I am fairly certain that everyone has tried it and that just about everyone likes it. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, first off, where the hell have you been? Second, you can find my elote recipe in The Buslife Kitchen Vol. 1: Cuisine for the Modern Nomad. And here are a couple of bonus links to some of my other elote-and-esquite-related recipes: an elote breakfast scramble recipe and an esquites and rice chimichanga recipe. Both are really delicious. But while elote is universally adored, the same cannot be said for the wedge salad, and it’s all down to the lettuce.

Wedge salads are made using the much-maligned iceberg lettuce. It has a deliciously cool and crisp texture, as well as a mild flavor, but some years ago iceberg lettuce started getting all sorts of flak because someone decided it was nutritionally insufficient. I mean, sure, there is not a lot in the way of nutrients in iceberg lettuce, but that is true of all lettuces. Lettuce is pretty much just water encapsulated in a bit of green fiber, with a paltry handful of calories and a few vitamins. Really, when you look at it, the nutritional differences between romaine and iceberg lettuce are pretty small. Those who argue that iceberg can’t stand up to its peers nutritionally typically rely on comparing it to something like spinach or kale, which are from completely different families of plants. Try comparing romaine to broccoli and you’ll get the same result. There will be a clear winner, and it’s definitely coming from the brassicaceae family. Just let yourself enjoy the wedge salad. If you feel really bad afterward, you can have a bite of kale to make up for it.

Elote Wedge Salad

A combination of two amazing classics, this elote wedge salad brings your beloved Mexican street corn to an elegant starting plate.

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Servings: 4 salads

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the Dressing

• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp sugar
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 pinch salt

For the Salad

• 2 ears sweetcorn
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chile powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• ½ cup cotija cheese crumbled
• ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped

Method

 

1. Make the dressing by stirring together all ingredients. If you have a squeeze bottle, use it to dispense the dressing for an ideal appearance.
2. Slice the corn off the cob and add it to a skillet over high heat along with the butter. Once the butter is melted, toss in the chili powder, and garlic powder as well. Fry, stirring often, until the kernels are lightly browned. Remove from heat.
3. Slice the head of lettuce into quarters, removing the stem. Place one quarter on each plate. Squeeze dressing over the lettuce and then top generously with fried corn, cotija cheese, and cilantro.