Elote is one of my favorite Mexican street foods. It's fun to walk around with a large ear of corn on a stick, slathered in crema, crumbly parm and a kick of cayenne. My cheeks would be covered in the powder.
The 'carrot elote' at Xixa is genius. Instead of a messy ear of corn, it's tender, roasted carrot you eat with a fork and knife. This classy spin on elote is quite easy to replicate at home. It can be served as small as one carrot for tapas or a whole platter for Thanksgiving. If you’ve an aversion to spiciness, try paprika instead of cayenne pepper.
| Things you'll need: | |
| 2 pounds carrots, tops removed 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup Mexican crema OR mayo thinned with a splash of vinegar |
1/2 cup queso fresco OR cotija or grated parmesan Cayenne pepper or paprika 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or parsley, chopped Salt |
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Split carrots lengthwise.
Roast them in olive oil, cut-side down until the edges are brown and they are fork tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. You don’t want them to get too soft, so turn off the oven or keep them in the dish on the stove until you are ready to eat.
Spoon crema onto a plate and layer on the carrots.
Smatter the cheese and cayenne pepper directly on top or on the side.
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Love this? It's part of my Vegetarian Spanish menu.
Did you give it a try? I want to hear how it went. Tag @Randwiches on Instagram or Twitter.