When looking for a gluten free, vegetarian snack option, there are few choices that fill the bill so perfectly and inexpensively as good old-fashioned popcorn. You can imagine, then, that when the March issue of Food & Wine magazine featured a section on Gourmet Popcorn, the rest of the issue may as well not have existed. That’s saying something, considering that there were recipes for Tater Tot Waffles and Porterhouse Steak (with homemade condiments, no less). This recipe was one of many featured by Jen Pelka, of San Fransisco’s new champagne and snack bar, The Riddler, where she and her crew aim to knock champagne “off its pedestal.” By encouraging unconventional bubbly and snack pairings, particularly via the bars self-serve Popcorn Bar, the hope is that patrons will begin to regard champagne as a more approachable everyday option, rather than relegating it to the realm of special occasions. We can’t think of a single objection to that philosophy. She’s also responsible for those Tater Tot Waffles, btw, so she’s definitely in the running for “tribe” status.
The first popcorn recipe that jumped out was for Mexican Corn Popcorn. Given our affinity for elote, it seemed like a shoo-in, but it called for white cheese powder, which was basically impossible to find in any shops. This meant that it would have to wait for another day, but it is totally happening.
The next available option was Everything Bagel Popcorn, and since everything bagels are the bomb, it can hardly be considered a consolation prize.
Actually, the ingredient list was infinitely more accessible, and as addictive as the flavors are in bagel form, they border on sinful and dangerous as a popcorn seasoning. The seasoning blend warrants making by the jarful, by the way. You’re going to want this mix on hand when your next snacking, entertaining or movie night opportunity crops up.
The only change to the original recipe was to use fine sea salt in place of the flaky salt, since it was what was in the pantry. Necessarily, the amount was reduced from 2 tablespoons to just one, the popcorn came out on the salty side. Not that it stopped anyone from devouring it, but for future batches the salt might have to be reduced to around 2 teaspoons.
Heeding Pelka’s assertion that popcorn and champagne pairings are worthy of exploration, there are many more batches of this delectable snack coming in the very near future for just that purpose. All in the name of research, of course.
Adapted from Food & Wine.
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup popping corn
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- In a small skillet, toast the caraway seeds over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar. Add the salt and, using a pestle, coarsely crush the seeds and salt. Transfer to a small bowl.
- In the skillet, toast the black and white sesame seeds over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant and the white seeds are golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the small bowl and stir in the granulated garlic and onion.
- In a large saucepan, combine the oil and popping corn. Cover and cook over moderately high heat until the corn starts to pop. Continue cooking, shaking the pan occasionally, until the corn stops popping, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the melted butter and toss to coat. Add the everything-bagel spices and toss again. Serve.
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