A few nights ago I caught an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown managed to spend 30 glorious minutes discussing popcorn (video embedded below). Today I hit up the co-op for some peanut oil and multi-colored popcorn… I suspect these are the cereal version of heirloom tomatoes. Brown’s directions are simple enough, though I’ve adjusted the amounts downward slightly.
- Add 1/3 cup of popcorn to a metal bowl with a couple of tablespoons of oil.
- Sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt on top and swirl it all together.
- Cover the bowl with foil, slicing a few air vents in the top. As it turns out, if you make these big, you get sprayed with hot oil 🙁
- Place the bowl over medium heat and shake it (I didn’t have metal tongs, so I just used a hot pad) frequently until the popping stops.
- Season with a pinch of rosemary and thyme (the oil really seems to obviate the need for butter)
Absolutely brilliant! Now I’ve a big bowl of the stuff, and am ready to queue up Lost on the Tivo!
And, because Alton Brown is infinitely more amusing than I am, a video of him explaining the same recipe: