Food & Wine USA - (08)August 2020

52 AUGUST 2020

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MOST WANTED

Smooth Moves Beat the heat with chef

Jesse Houston’s creamy no-churn sweet

corn ice cream.

RECIPE FROM

SOPHOMORE

SPANISH CLUB

JACKSON, MS

CHEF JESSE HOUSTON IS A BIT OF TRICKSTER. Case in point: Evans

Elote, the wildly popular dessert at Sophomore Spanish Club, his

1990s-vibe Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. When the

dessert arrives at the table, your eyes report Mexican street corn, right

down to the crema drizzle. But when your taste buds get involved, the

Texas-born chef’s playful culinary magic trick is revealed. Houston

spoons a silky-smooth no-churn corn ice cream into corn-cob molds,

layering in a ribbon of dulce de leche before embedding a slice of

sweet cornmeal cake. Unmolded and topped with a white chocolate

drizzle, Key lime zest, torn mint, Cotija cheese, and cayenne-spiked

cinnamon sugar, it’s a culinary trompe l’oeil you have to taste to

believe. Houston shared his ice cream recipe here so you can make it

at home, but if you’re in Jackson, stop by Sophomore Spanish Club

and treat yourself to the dessert, with all the bells and whistles.

Just be sure to wink at the cardboard cutout of Saved by the Bell

heartthrob A.C. Slater on your way out. —JOSH MILLER

No-Churn Corn Ice Cream

ACTIVE 35 MIN; TOTAL 50 MIN, PLUS 12 HR

FREEZING; SERVES 6 TO 8

No need to use an ice cream maker for

this simple no-churn ice cream—just the

sweetest fresh summer corn you can find.

Corn kernels get blitzed in a food proces-

sor then strained and simmered down into

a sweet pudding that forms the base of

this dreamy dessert. A drizzle of store-

bought dulce de leche provides the per-

fect buttery-sweet finish.

10 cups fresh yellow corn kernels

(from 12 large ears)

13 /^4 cups heavy cream

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt

Waffle cones (optional)

Dulce de leche or caramel sauce

(optional)

1. Working in batches, process corn ker-
   nels in a food processor until very juicy,
   about 15 seconds. Press processed corn
   through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a
   bowl to yield about 2 cups corn juice; dis-
   card solids.
   2. Transfer corn juice to a large nonstick
   skillet; bring to a simmer over medium-
   low, stirring constantly with a heatproof
   rubber spatula. Simmer, stirring con-
   stantly, until thickened to a pudding-like
   consistency and reduced to about 1 cup, 8
   to 12 minutes. (When the spatula is
   dragged through the corn mixture, it will
   hold a line for about 2 seconds before
   flowing to fill the gap.) Remove from heat.
   Press corn mixture through a fine wire-
   mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl;
   discard any solids. Let corn mixture cool
   to room temperature, stirring often,
   about 15 minutes.
   3. Beat cream, condensed milk, vanilla,
   and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the
   whisk attachment on medium-high speed
   until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold
   into corn mixture in 2 additions. Pour into
   a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan; press a piece of
   plastic wrap directly on surface of corn
   mixture. Freeze until firm, at least 12
   hours. Serve scoops of sweet corn ice
   cream in waffle cones; drizzle with dulce
   de leche or caramel sauce, if desired.
   —JESSE HOUSTON, SOPHOMORE SPANISH
   CLUB, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
   MAKE AHEAD Ice cream can be made and
   frozen up 2 weeks ahead. FO

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