The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MAKING POPCORN REALLY POP
How to turn this ubiquitous snack into the life of the party.
Anight out at the movies would be incomplete without popcorn. A bowl of freshly popped kernels can make a night curled up on the couch in front of the television feel special, too.
This occurred to me on one of many such homebound evenings during the pandemic. Rummaging through cabinets for something to munch on that might mimic the cinema experience, I spotted a jar of popcorn that had been sitting on a shelf untouched for years. I dumped the kernels into a big aluminum pot old school-style with some oil and, to my amazement, they popped up as fluffy as ever!
Sure, I could buy a bag of popcorn already popped, salted and flavored in all kinds of ways. But popping it myself is so much more rewarding. It’s cheap, for one thing: A 30-ounce container of Orville Redenbacher’s Original Gourmet Popping Corn sells for about $6 and yields nearly 150 cups! And I get a little thrill shaking and jiggling the pot around and hearing that first pop, then another, and then a steady flurry as toasty aromas fill the kitchen.
This entire action takes all of about five minutes. And best of all, I can control every aspect, from the kind of oil and salt I use and how much, to the popping method, to whatever enhancement I want to throw in.
To rev up my popping skills, I followed some online tips for re-creating movie theater-style popcorn at home. With its slow smoke point (about 350 degrees) and smooth, delicately sweet taste, coconut oil ensures the kernels pop up nice and crispy (though other neutral oils also work well). Butter-flavored seasoning salt, rather than melted butter, keeps the popped kernels from going soggy. Clarified butter, or ghee, accomplishes this as well without artificial colors or flavors. It’s also important to use a fine salt that adheres to the kernels.
Much as I appreciate popcorn in its purest form, I’ve also been experimenting with some fun variations. Hurricane Popcorn is a new favorite. It’s basically a glorified, umami-rich version of sugar-sweetened kettle corn popular in Hawaiian movie theaters and featured by the Maui restaurateur and “Top Chef ” finalist Sheldon Simeon in “Cook Real Hawai’i” (Potter, $35).
Follow either that recipe or the more traditional version, or get creative by trying one of the variations presented here. Or play around with the contents of your spice rack and cupboards to come up with your own concoction.
Get ready to start the movie — or the party.