El Salvador… part deux

I have always wanted to try to make Atol de Elote but thought the process would be very time consuming.  I looked and searched for a good recipe on-line and in the books I’ve collected and found a few contradictions.  So I took a few pieces from a couple of recipes and came up with this:
Atol de Elote (Sweet Corn Drink)

• 6 or 7 ears of yellow corn
  2 cups water2 cups milk (use skim for a healthy alternative but whole milk will make it thicker)
  1/3 c. sugar (or more to taste but I found that this amount was just enough)
  1/2 tsp. salt
  3-4 tsp. cornstarch (corn in Central America is a bit starchier, cornstarch will help thicken the atol.
  Ground cinnamon for garnish

Directions: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut enough kernels off the corn cobs to make 3 to 3 1/2 cups (a good tip to make getting the kernels off the cob easier is to put a small bowl upside down inside a big bowl to make a kind of platform, that way when you scrape the kernels off they fall into the big bowl and you don’t have to keep emptying the bowl). Then scrape the cobs with a knife to remove all their milk. Place 2 1/2 cups of the corn in a blender along with the 2 cups of water and puree well.Strain the pureed corn through a sieve into a medium saucepan (you can either discard the solids or save them to make corn patties later). Stir in the remaining corn kernels, 1/3 cup sugar and salt.

Add the milk and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until lightly thickened. If the atol doesn’t thicken to a creamy consistency, mix the cornstarch with a little cold water and whisk into the simmering liquid until it is just thick enough, you can add up to 6 tsp of corn starch but make sure you add them a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.
Pour the hot atol into mugs or small bowls, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and serve hot with a spoon to scoop up the corn kernels.

I made “tortitas de elote” or corn patties with the solids after draining them through the sieve, I added egg whites, fresh parsley, chopped onions and salt and pepper. Made the mixture into patties (they are soggy at first) and put them on a very hot skillet with olive oil (hot enough to sizzle when you place them in there). Turned them once they browned and had them for an appetizer before dinner. It was enough to make 4 patties.

Verdict: Because I know how this is supposed to taste like I can honestly say that this worked out well, even if I do say so myself.  But I did have one of my italian friends taste it and he l-o-v-e-d loved it!  I was very happy about that!  This is best served hot so if you do have some leftovers make sure you heat it up before you serve it. This drink is good for breakfast or after dinner, even  mid-afternoon (think of it as an alternative to hot chocolate).  Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. If you love corn you will love this…