Crema de Elote
Crema de Elote recipe
Recipe courtesy of Jim Peyton, Lo Mexicano (lomexicano.com)
Makes 1 quart/4 first course servings; 2 meal-size servings
Oil for deep frying
3 corn tortillas (red ones if possible) sliced into pieces 1/8 inch wide by 2 inches long
1 lb. sweet frozen corn, thawed
1/3 c. chicken broth
4 T. unsalted butter
¾ c. chopped white onions
2 ¼ c. milk
¾ c. whipping cream
¼ c. roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped poblano chiles (to peel the chiles, char them over a
gas burner or under a broiler, place them in a plastic bag for 20 minutes, then peel).
¼ c. finely chopped tomato
1 t. salt, or to taste
1/8 t. white or black pepper
1 t. cornstarch dissolved in 1 ½ teaspoons water
½ c. crumbled Mexican queso fresco, or substitute Muenster
4 cilantro leaves
Prepare the tortilla garnish. Heat the oil to 350 degrees (or until bubbles immediately arise from the handle of a wooden spoon pushed into the bottom of pan in which to oil is heated). Add the tortilla pieces and fry until the bubbles subsist and they are crisp. Drain on absorbent towels and reserve.
Puree the corn and onions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the corn and place the remainder in a blender an add the broth. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring often until the onions are soft but not browned, 4 - 5 minutes. Add the onions to the blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. Strain the contents of the blender through the fine blade of a food mill or push through a strainer.
Prepare the soup. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 3 quart pot over medium heat, add the pureed corn and onions and cook, stirring almost constantly to keep the mixture from scorching, for five minutes. The corn will thicken considerably. Slowly stir in the milk and cream, then add the reserved poblano chiles, tomato, salt and pepper, and simmer the mixture over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often to keep it from sticking to the pot and scorching. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch and continue simmering the soup for 5 minutes.
Serve the soup. To serve the soup, ladle it into four bowls, and top with the cheese, reserved corn, tortilla chips, and cilantro leaves.