Any of you ever seen this stuff before? My guess is no. But if you have, yay for you!
This, my friends, is Cope's Corn. It comes two ways: canned (rehydrated) or bagged (see above).
I was introduced to this corny wonder by my first boss, who, incidentally, looks a bit like the dude on the bag. (Tracey, you know who I'm talking about!)
Ok, ok, I'll explain it to you now. As the bag says, this is toasted dried sweet corn. It tastes different than any other corn you have ever eaten. This is Lancaster County, PA corn. At the moment it hits the height of its sugar content, it is picked and then immediately dried. Those sugars caramelize in the heat, and that is what gives it the unique brown color you'll see. Once you reconstitute the kernels, the corn has a nutty, sweet flavor.
The Cope's Corn Company was founded by Martin Cope in Manheim, PA (near Lancaster) in 1900, when the first batch of corn was dried over a coal burning stove. Martin named the product for his grandson, John. For over 100 years, the company stayed in the family, but in 2006, was sold to Hanover Foods.
Cope's Corn, for those who love it, is a family tradition for holiday meals, especially Thanksgiving. Brand loyalty is easy-they are the only game in town! Most of the traditional recipes are for corn puddings, creamed, baked and stewed corn. It can also be reconstituted and used in cornbread.
When I had my restaurant, State Street Café, back in the '90's, I knew I wanted to do something with this sweet, toasted wonder, but not the usual side dish. So I soaked it, then cooked it with vegetable stock, thyme sprigs and shallots, removed the aromatics, pureed slightly and finished with a little butter to make a sweet corn sauce. I served this under my famous (well, in certain circles they are, and that's only because YOU haven't tried them yet) Crab Cakes.
Mmmm….I can taste it now....
You can find Cope's Corn in most supermarkets in PA, but it's also available online from various retailers. If you are a corn lover, give it a try. I promise, it will be like no corn you've ever had.
Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Until next time...
