Elote Pierogi
As a Nebraska born and Ohio raised girl, I feel that cornhusking runs through my veins. A lot of states claim to have the best summer sweet corn, and I am not here to argue, just to celebrate these delicious golden kernels.
My elote pierogi recipe combines the delicious flavors of grilled Mexican street corn with pierogi. It is a delicious fusion that I wish I would have thought of sooner. This summery recipe incorporate corn in both the dough and the filling. The other key ingredients include queso fresco, lime, chili powder, and a serrano pepper. To help hold the filling together and make it extra rich and indulgent, I also added cream cheese.
What is elote: For those who have never had elote, it is grilled corn on the cob that is traditionally served on a stick covered with a mayonnaise, chili powder and cotija or queso fresco. In big cities you can usually find it sold by street vendors or in Mexican or other trendy restaurants. The first time I ever tried it was from a street cart in Chicago. If you ever see it, buy it! I promise you won’t regret it.
Elote Pierogi
Ingredients:
For the filling:
3 ears of corn
7 oz queso fresco
4 oz cream cheese
1 serrano pepper (deseeded)
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
lime zest (plus a squirt of lime juice)
salt and pepper to taste
For the dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup corn flour
2 tbs corn meal
1 egg
2 table spoons sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1/3 cup warm water
For serving (optional):
queso fresco
corn
Cilantro
To Do:
Filling:
Grill your corn on the cob. You can throw them directly on the grill to give it a nice char; or grill them in the husks (You do this by pulling the husks back without removing them and de-silking as best as you can. Then pull the husks back up over the corn and place directly on the grill. This will help protect the kernels, but keep an eye on them as the husk can catch fire!). If you aren’t in the mood for grilling you can also boil the corn, I promise it will still be delicious.
After corn has cooled, use a knife and cut the kernels off. Half of the corn kernels will go into the food processor. Reserve the other half to be added to the filling later.
In addition to the corn, add the queso fresco, cream cheese, chile powder, cayenne pepper, serrano pepper, lime zest, salt and pepper to the food processor. Blend until relatively smooth and then scoop it into medium bowl. Fold remaining corn kernels in. Place bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the dough. Cooling the filling helps solidify it and make it easier to work with during the assembly step.
Dough:
Mix together all-purpose flour, corn meal and corn flour. Make a well in flour and add egg, sour cream, water, and salt. Gradually mix together. It will be quite crumbly at first. Add more water as you go. Knead until it forms a dough ball (about the consistency of play dough). Cover the dough with the bowl or plastic wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes.
Using a pasta roller, start with a #8 and fold the dough through 4 or 5 times. Switch to a #7 and fold through 2 times. (If you don’t have a pasta roller, a rolling pin will work.) Continue this process until the dough is thin enough (about an 1/8 of an inch). We recommend stopping once you get to the #3 or #4 setting.
Assemble:
Use a circle cookie cutter or glass cup to cut out 2-3 inch rounds. Put circle of dough into pierogi crimper and fill with about 1 tablespoon of elote filling (be careful not to overfill or it will seep out the edges and you won’t get a good seal). Wet one side of pierogi with water before pinching shut. Trim excess edges if needed.
If you don’t have a pierogi crimper, you can also assemble by hand. I did that with these. Simply put a scoop (about 1 tablespoon) of filling in the middle of the circle-cut dough. Wet around the edge of the dough (this helps “glue the sides together). Fold the dough over and pinch it shut, being careful to not let it spill over.
Cook:
Place pierogi in boiling water. Once they rise to the top continue to cook for 2-3 minutes and then remove with slotted spoon. Gently dry off the pierogi and sauté in pan with butter and/or olive oil.
Serve topped with the extra grilled corn, crumbled queso fresco and cilantro. Enjoy!
