Chipotle Brown Butter Elote

Grilled corn is one of those things that just belongs outdoors — the smell alone is enough to bring everyone to the garden. Elote is Mexican street corn at its finest: charred cobs slathered in a creamy, smoky, tangy coating. This version takes things up a notch with chipotle-spiked brown butter, which adds a nutty richness that's genuinely hard to stop eating. It's messy, bold, and absolutely worth it.

Ingredients

• 4 corn cobs, husks removed
• 113g unsalted butter
• 1–2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, finely chopped (plus 1 tsp of the adobo sauce)
• 100g mayonnaise
• 100g soured cream
• 80g Cotija or feta cheese, finely crumbled
• 2 limes — 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges to serve
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Flaky sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Preheat your gas grill to a high heat — around 230–250°C at the grates. You want good colour on the corn, so don't rush the preheat.
2. Make the brown butter: place the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat on your hob or side burner. Swirl gently as it melts and foams. Once the foam subsides and the butter starts to smell nutty with golden-brown specks appearing at the bottom, remove from the heat immediately — it can go from golden to burnt very quickly. Stir in the chopped chipotle chilli and adobo sauce, then set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, soured cream, lime juice, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Set aside.
4. Brush the corn cobs lightly with some of the chipotle brown butter, then place directly on the grill grates. Cook for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until you have good char marks all the way around and the kernels are tender and starting to caramelise.
5. Remove the corn from the grill. Working quickly while still hot, brush each cob generously with the chipotle brown butter.
6. Spread or roll each cob through the mayonnaise and soured cream mixture to coat well.
7. Sprinkle over the crumbled Cotija or feta, a dusting of smoked paprika, and the fresh coriander. Finish with an extra pinch of flaky sea salt.
8. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.