Every time I tell people aboutcreamed dried sweet corn, my favorite dish to serve on Thanksgiving, I get the same two questions. "It's creamed corn, right?" "Is it like polenta?" No and no. Creamed dried sweet corn is far more seductive—and unique—than either of those dishes.
And if you didn't grow up in the Amish or Mennonite communities of Pennsylvania (or didn't happen to catchIssue #22 ofSaveurmagazine), you've probably never heard of it. Because creamed dried sweet corn doesn't just have an unwieldy, confusing name that conjures up nursing-home food. It also relies on a specialty ingredient—the dried sweet corn—thatyou will probably need to order online.
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But you shouldn't let any of that stop you from becoming one of the lucky few who know the joy of this stubbornly old-fashioned but shockingly seductive dish.
Imagine the sweetest summer corn, slowly oven-dried to concentrate its sweetness, just like a sun-dried tomato. Thanks to that drying process, the corn has a touch of caramelized toastiness, giving its sunny flavor a whole new autumnal depth. Now imagine soaking that dried corn in milk and cream and then simmering it into a creamy concoction that's perfect for Thanksgiving.
Fair warning, though—once you give this dish a try at your next Thanksgiving, you'll probably end up making it for life. Bring creamed dried sweet corn over to your friend's house for Thanksgiving, and they'll blame you for making them special-order dried sweet corn year after year thereafter (true story). The recipe on the back of the box (or, these days, the vacuum-sealed bag) sometimes features "baked corn supreme" (and we have agreat version of that dish right here), but IMHO it's the stovetop version you want, since it's the one with the seductive, almost lava-like lusciousness. My own contribution to the time-honored recipe from legendary food writer R. W. Apple is a base of golden, buttery onions and a final topping of fresh chives, which add a savory note to all that harvest sweetness.
Making it couldn't be easier, even on a whirlwind cooking day like Thanksgiving. Soak the dried sweet corn the night before Thanksgiving; then, a couple hours before you want to serve dinner, melt some butter in a large pot and sauté some finely chopped onion until soft and golden. Then add all that creamy soaked corn and a bit of salt, sugar, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour, until it's so rich and thick that you can't resist dipping a spoon in for your first taste. Don't worry—it won't be your last.
