Grilled Mexican Corn with Chipotle Adobo Sauce (Mexicano Restaurant Copycat)
This is the best corn I have ever had. It is a copycat of corn I had at a modern Mexican restaurant in Narrabeen, Sydney, called Mexicano (which I think is the second best corn! :) ) ! The chargrilled flavour is key for the ultimate corn experience. But don't worry! You can make it on stovetop - I've provided directions for both methods.
Real Mexican street corn is sprinkled with Cotjia which isn't available here in Sydney. Parmesan is a ripper substitute - and dare I say it takes it to another level!
1/4tspancho chili powder, chipotle powder or smoky paprika
Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Place the Chipotle Adobo Mayo ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth. (Note 3)
BBQ: Heat the grill side on high. Grill corn for around 8 minutes, or until charred all over and cooked through.
Stovetop: Boil a large pot of water. Add the corn and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and let the corn steam dry in the colander for a few minutes. Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Add the corn and cook all over until nicely charred.
Allow the corn to cool slightly.
Place the parmesan in a shallow dish.
Use a pastry brush to generously slather each corn with the Chipotle Adobo Mayo.
Roll the corn in the parmesan.
Sprinkle with a pinch of ancho chili powder, and serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
1. Using whole egg mayonnaise is key to the recipe! Ordinary mayonnaise is more vinegary. Whole egg mayonnaise is available at supermarkets. There are many brands - just look at the label and make sure it says"whole egg". Japanese mayonnaise (called Kewpie that comes in a squeezy bottle) also works well.2. Using freshly grated parmesan cheese is key to ensure loads sticks onto the corn without it being too "parmesany" and salty. The store bought grated parmesan will create a thick and heavy layer of parmesan which overpowers the corn. If you only have perforated parmesan, rather than rolling the corn in the parmesan, sprinkle it on.3. If you don't have a small food processor, either double the recipe so you can make it in a regular size food processor or blender. Alternatively, you can ground the chipotle in adobo into a paste using a mortar and pestle or as a last result, chop the chipotle as finely as you can, then mix through the remaining ingredients. Use 1 tsp extra of sauce if you use this method as you'll leave some on the cutting board / mortar and pestle.4. Chipotles in Adobo Sauce is dried chipotles in a dark red flavoured sauce. It comes in a can and can be purchased at Harris Farm Markets (Australia) for around $3. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a month.The amount used creates a medium level spicy sauce. It won't blow your head off! Feel free to reduce if you are concerned.5. This recipe is adapted from this Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Mayonnaise Recipe from NYT Cooking.6. This definitely does not taste like it only has 138 calories a serving!