Adventures of An American Chef On the Run: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Kettle Corn

Somewhat keeping in line with the fair food theme recently, I give you brown sugar cinnamon kettle corn.  We asked our friend to pick up some popcorn kernels from the market for us this week, as we intend to use corn sprouts in our compost tea brewer.  He got what was probably 2, possibly three kilos.  This friend is wonderful and happens to be known for getting you two or three of what you ask for, generally.  He offered to pay for ingredients to make impossible cake once...and bought me enough ingredients for 2 impossible cakes, not that I could complain at ALL (or wanted to).  I decided then that popcorn would be in our near future.  When determining what to write about today, I decided it was time to pop some corn. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup unpopped kernels

6 TBSP brown sugar

1 T Butter

3 T coconut oil

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2-1 t salt

Start by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Add the unpopped corn and mix to combine.

Add a half teaspoon of salt, more or less depending on how salty you like your kettle corn.

I honestly didn't take any pictures of the process while the corn was cooking.  This was for two reasons: there was a lid on the whole time and I had to keep shaking the pan around to redistribute things.  If I didn't the sugar would have burnt and the popcorn would be ruined. The lid keeps the steam in the pan, allowing all of the popcorn to pop before the sugar starts to burn.

You start with putting the coconut oil in a tall stock pot on medium high heat. Add three kernels to the bottom and cover the pot.  It'll start to sizzle, steam then pop.  Once the kernels pop, add the butter and pour the corn mixture and stir until every things moistened.  Don't take too much time at it, most of the mixing will be done while it's popping.  Cover it up and wait.  Using oven mits (or an old thick tee shirt if you're like me, without oven mits!) , grab the pan and secure the lid.  Shake it around really good while trying to keep it as close to the heat as possible.  After a few minutes it'll start to pop again.  

Keep shaking it around every 15 -30 seconds.  The pan will eventually fill up.  If you smell anything burning, turn off the heat immediately.  I used too much kernels (still no measuring tools here...) and completely filled the pan and started to burn the sugar before they were all popped.  

Once it's done, or there's more than a second between pops, transfer it to a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.  It's hot but ready to eat and delicious at this stage...or any stage.  It was so good John and I inhaled a lot without words.  Eventually John asked for a coke but I kept eating popcorn.  It took him asking again for me to go ahead and make the trip, looking forward to a dab upon my return. 

I returned, I dabbed and we watched what was a pretty decent movie.  It was a stoner flick about a grower and his little brother and their shenanagins in California's legal grey markets, called Green is Gold.  It was pretty ruthlessly honest on certain things like government and schooling, which we really appreciated.  We also appreciated that they used real pot plants for this movie, something pretty unheard of before now considering it's illegal status. The brothers even make dabs in the movie, which was hilarious.

I inhaled the popcorn and have been struggling to resist making more ever since.  This has always been one of my secret guilt pleasures, kettle corn.  Caramel corn is a whole different delicious devil.  I'm honestly not much for popcorn unless it's made kettle style, smothered in caramel or chocolate or cheddar cheese powder.  Part of what I love about the movie experience here is the availability of BOTH cheddar and caramel popcorn. 

So from me to you, Steemit, happy popping.