Atole de Grano Michoacano

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart clay olla from Capula or a heavy Dutch oven
• •Sharp knife and wide bowl for cutting the elotes
• •Wooden spoon or small wooden pala for stirring
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Clay jarros from Tzintzuntzan, Patamban, or Capula for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the elotes

   Stand each elote upright in a wide bowl and cut the kernels off close to the cob. Then scrape the cobs with the back of the knife to catch the milky corn pulp. That scraping matters. It gives the atole body before the masa ever enters the pot.

2. 2

   Make the corn base

   Place the scraped cobs in a clay olla or heavy pot with 8 cups of the water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the cobs. Add the kernels and the scraped corn pulp. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until the kernels are tender but still distinct. Do not boil hard. Corn cooked violently tastes tired.

   If your corn is older and starchier, give it more time. Do not add sugar to hide bad corn. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado before you buy.
3. 3

   Dissolve the masa

   In a bowl, work the fresh masa with the remaining 2 cups water until completely smooth. Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into another bowl, pressing with your fingers or a spoon. Lumps in the masa become lumps in the jarro. We are not doing that.

4. 4

   Thicken the atole

   Lower the heat to medium-low. Pour the masa liquid into the corn pot in a thin stream while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep scraping the bottom in slow circles. The atole will thicken after 10 to 12 minutes and turn pale cream-gold, glossy, and heavy enough to coat the spoon. If it tightens too much, add hot water a little at a time.

5. 5

   Add nurite and salt

   Add the tied nurite bundle and the salt. If you could only find anise seed, add the cheesecloth packet here instead. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes more, stirring often. The aroma should be green and lightly aniseed, not perfumed like candy. Remove the herb bundle or seed packet. Taste for salt. This is savory kamáta, so the salt should wake up the corn, not disappear.

6. 6

   Serve in jarros

   Ladle the atole into clay jarros or deep earthenware bowls while it is still fluid and glossy. Set chopped chile perón and a small dish of salt on the table for whoever wants it. Do not turn this into dessert at the last minute. This is Michoacán's grain atole. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •The corn decides the dish. Look for tender white elotes de milpa with plump kernels and pale milk under the skin. Supermarket sweet corn is a compromise, not an upgrade, because it brings sugar where this atole needs grain flavor.
• •Nurite is the proper Michoacán herb for this pot when you can find it. Ask at P'urhépecha stalls or Mexican herb vendors. Anise seed will work outside Michoacán, but use very little and do not use star anise. That flavor is too loud and wrong here.
• •Fresh nixtamal masa gives the atole a rounder body than masa harina. If masa harina is all you have, hydrate 1/2 cup with 3/4 cup warm water and let it rest 10 minutes before dissolving it into the slurry. It will work. It will not taste like the Meseta version.
• •Thick atole burns on the bottom before a distracted cook notices. Keep the heat steady and stir from the bottom, especially after the masa goes in. No me vengas con atajos.

Advance Preparation

• •The elotes can be shucked and refrigerated up to one day ahead, but cut the kernels close to cooking time so the corn milk stays fresh.
• •The masa slurry can be mixed and strained up to two hours ahead. Stir it before adding because the corn solids settle quickly.
• •Atole de grano is best the day it is made. Leftovers thicken in the refrigerator; reheat slowly with splashes of hot water and stir until glossy again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)