Ingredients
Maize
- 8 earsof fresh sweetcorn, kernels stripped
- or 800 g frozen sweetcorn kernels
Liquid
- 1 litrewhole milk
- 500 mlwater
- or the water the cobs were simmered in
To flavour
- 2cinnamon sticks
- 150 gsugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoonvanilla
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
Sometimes added
- 2 tablespoonscornflour, if the corn is not starchy
- ground cinnamon, for dusting
Directions
- Press a kernel with your thumbnail to test it. A milky liquid should come out under the pressure. Strip the kernels off each cob with a sharp knife. Stand the cob upright in a large bowl to catch them.
- Cut downward along the length of the cob. Add every drop of it to the bowl with the kernels. Put the stripped cobs in a pot with the water. Simmer them gently for about fifteen minutes.
- Strain that water and use it in place of plain water. It draws out flavour that would otherwise be thrown away. Put the kernels in a blender with about half the milk. Blend on the highest speed for three full minutes. Stop and scrape the sides down partway through.
- Add the remaining milk and blend it again briefly. Pour the slurry through a fine sieve into a jug. Press it through with the back of a ladle. Discard the fibrous hulls left in the sieve. Cooking it is slow and needs constant stirring. Pour the strained mixture into a heavy pot. Add the reserved cob water and the cinnamon sticks.
- Add the salt and set it over a medium heat. Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon from the start. Bring it slowly up to a bare simmer. Never let it boil hard at any point. Cook it for about twenty-five minutes. Adding the sugar is done near the end.
- Stir in the sugar once the mixture has thickened. Add the vanilla off the heat at the very end. Taste it and adjust the sweetness to your liking. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon heavily.
- Stir it in and cook for three more minutes. Serving it is done hot in mugs or bowls. Ladle it into mugs while it is still steaming. Dust ground cinnamon over the surface of each one. It keeps two days refrigerated and sets very thick.
Technique
- Atoles are hot maize drinks found across Central America and Mexico, and most of them are sweet.
- Atol de elote is made from fresh young maize rather than from dried maize or maize flour, which is what gives it its particular sweetness.
Substitutions
- Frozen sweetcorn works and is what most cooks outside the region will use.
- Any milk works, and evaporated milk gives a richer drink.
Variations
- Some households add a little coconut milk alongside the dairy.
- A version thickened with rice flour is made in some places.
- Atol de elote is sold alongside pupusas at Salvadoran street stalls.
History
Made at the end of the rainy season when tender maize comes in, sold from pots on Salvadoran street corners.
Frequently asked questions
What is Atol de elote?
Atol de elote is a drink from El Salvador: hot drink of fresh sweetcorn, milk and cinnamon, thick enough to spoon. Made at the end of the rainy season when tender maize comes in, sold from pots on Salvadoran street corners.
How long does Atol de elote take to make?
Atol de elote takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Atol de elote?
Yes, within limits. Frozen sweetcorn works and is what most cooks outside the region will use. Any milk works, and evaporated milk gives a richer drink.
What is the most important thing to get right in Atol de elote?
Strain that water and use it in place of plain water. It draws out flavour that would otherwise be thrown away. Put the kernels in a blender with about half the milk. Blend on the highest speed for three full minutes. Stop and scrape the sides down partway through.
