Cook the Book: Spicy Buttered Popcorn
Later in the week we'll get to some of Fat's more complicated dishes, such as a classic Cassoulet and an elegant Duck Rillettes, but for now let's start off with a simple Spicy Buttered Popcorn. Author Jennifer McLagan laments the day when theaters "replaced the real butter with that odd-tasting 'butter-flavored' topping." She thinks that "popcorn really has no flavor, and it's only made edible with butter and salt, or, even better, with a flavored butter." Her version, spiced with puréed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is perfect for casual movie nights or as an accompaniment to predinner drinks.
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Spicy Buttered Popcorn
- makes 8 cups -
Adapted from Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan
Ingredients
8 cups popped plain popcorn
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons puréed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 250ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the popcorn on the paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir until the butter and augar melt and the mixture comes to a boil. Stop stirring and boil until it reaches 250ºF on a kitchen thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chipotle peppers and the baking soda.
3. Pour the mixture over the popcorn, and stir with a spatula until the popcorn is evenly coated.
4. Bake the popcorn for 35 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
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4 Comments:
Why add the baking soda?
jd7979 at 2:05PM on 10/13/08
I could be wrong, but I thought that baking soda keeps the caramel syrup from hardening into rocks and shards. This sounds like a question for Shirley Corriher! (my beloved book is at home...)
BangieB at 2:18PM on 10/13/08
i'm pretty sure that is right, otherwise we might break some teeth.
grtrossini at 10:43PM on 10/13/08
My eyes jumped to the baking portion of the recipe and I spent WAY too long on wondering how you popped popcorn in an oven, on just a baking sheet, without it flying all over the place...then I read that it was already popped. Whoops.
Alyrmc at 11:22AM on 10/14/08