Esquites (Warm Mexican Corn Salad)

Stand a shucked ear of corn upright in a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, shave the corn kernels from the cob, letting them fall into the bottom of the bowl. Repeat this process for all the ears of corn. Then, discard all but 2 cobs. You'll add these 2 cobs to the corn while it cooks.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Once the butter is melted, add the corn, the 2 reserved cobs, garlic, bay leaf, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Then, add 2 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. After it boils, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer the corn for about 25 minutes, until it is cooked through.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the garlic, bay leaf, and cobs. Stir in the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of ground ancho chili, the juice of 2 limes, half of the queso fresco, and the cilantro. Taste the mixture and add more salt if needed.

Scoop the corn, along with the cooking liquid, into serving bowls. Set out the fixings (crema, ground chile, limes, queso fresco, and hot sauce) on the side so that everyone can add them according to their preference. Top each serving with a spoonful of crema, a spoonful of queso fresco, a sprinkle of ground chile, a squeeze of fresh lime, and a few dashes of hot sauce.

If you have leftovers, cover them tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the leftovers in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are nice and steamy. You can also reheat the leftovers in the microwave for about 1 minute.

If you want to freeze the leftovers, do so for up to 1 month. Before reheating, defrost the frozen leftovers fully overnight in the fridge.