Delectables with Dan Presents: Kettle Corn
Autumn is in full swing, even though it didn't feel like it last week. I don't think I ever had kettle corn as a child. I remember eating it a few years ago when I was in New York City.
Kettle corn brings up images of crisp red, golden and orange leaves, pumpkins leering from people's steps, oversized plaid scarves and thick cable-knit jumpers.
I remember the day perfectly. It was in a little shop window, it's rich golden-brown beauty staring out at me under the glow of the shop lights. 'Taste me, Daniel.' (And no, that wasn't the first time that I heard that and it most certainly was not the last. But we'll save that anecdote for another day.) Beautiful little popcorn blisters in the clearest plastic bag I've ever seen, the candy-apple red lettering whispering seductively in my ear. I needed it. The shop bell clang into the crisp air singling my arrival to the kettle corn. Slowly and carefully I selected a large bag, it's plastic prison soft in my hands as I walked to the till. "Will that be all?" "You say that like I'm not about to make one of the most important purchases of my life!" The clerk looks at me funny. "Okay...Can I have the bag so that I can scan it?" I gasp. "You just want me to hand her over to you?" "Her? Um, I need to scan it, it's kind of how this works." Reluctantly, I handed over Elizabeth and he scanned her beautiful barcode. "Do you want a bag or a wedding band to go with this order?" "Do you have anything in sterling silver?" "That will be $4.95." The price nearly gives me a stroke, but I collect myself and run my finger down Elizabeth's silky side. "Don't you worry, Elizabeth. No matter the price, I'll pay it for you my precious." I shoved the money across the counter and told him to keep the change. I squirrel away into a corner of an ally (yes, I like to eat in corners, fuckin' sue me.) and with fingers trembling pulled the glossy tartan ribbon and an aroma of sugar and butter hit me square in the face. It was like getting punched in the face by The Rock. It was awesome.
And then I tasted her. Flavour caressed my taste buds and set off fireworks of joy inside my mouth. The salt balanced the sweet and the sweetness balanced the salt. There was just a hint of butter. So crisp that it made loud crunches between my rows of teeth. It was then that I knew I had stumbled upon a culinary delight. So simple, yet so rich in experience.
This brings me to the blog today. We're getting into the middle of autumn now and it's the perfect weather for snacks and a film in the later afternoon on weekend. I suppose I could have just bought some, but I figured it would be more fun for Pork Chop and me to pop up some corn before snuggling in to watch The Little Vampire.
What you need to make some!
32 tablespoons of unpopped popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons of salt
170ml vegetable oil
50g granulated sugar
50g brown sugar
*Note this will make a bucket of kettle corn*
In a large kettle pot pour in your vegetable oil and heat over a medium heat. Allow oil to become hot before adding your salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir together before adding in your popcorn kernels. Cover the pot to allow kernels to pop; to keep sugar from burning, shake pot every 20-30 seconds. Once the popping has slowed, remove the pot from heat keeping it covered and give it a few good shakes to ensure most if not all your kernels have popped. Pour into a large bowl and stir to break up any large clumps of sugar before serving.
I wish it went as smoothly as I described above. I wasn't fully paying attention while I was popping the corn and I turned away for a few minutes and...there was an explosion. The popping corn blew the lid of the kettle pot off and kettle corn began to rain down upon us. It kind of felt like I was Moses turning one of the plagues of Egypt as I dashed through the flying shrapnel to shut the heat off. Those little bastards still kept on popping and it was then when I realised just how much kettle corn I made. I'd never made popcorn like this and I didn't know just how much I'd really need. I'd always done those neat little-microwaved bags...now I know why the bags are so small before you pop them up. There are not that many kernels in them. So I made a kettle of kettle corn...it's been three days and we're still eating it. Honestly, this was a giant mistake. You can cut this recipe in half or if you're having a party or just want to eat this shit for the next week or so, make it all. Go wild.
LINKS
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dandelectables/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanDelectables
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandelectables/
Kettle corn brings up images of crisp red, golden and orange leaves, pumpkins leering from people's steps, oversized plaid scarves and thick cable-knit jumpers.
I remember the day perfectly. It was in a little shop window, it's rich golden-brown beauty staring out at me under the glow of the shop lights. 'Taste me, Daniel.' (And no, that wasn't the first time that I heard that and it most certainly was not the last. But we'll save that anecdote for another day.) Beautiful little popcorn blisters in the clearest plastic bag I've ever seen, the candy-apple red lettering whispering seductively in my ear. I needed it. The shop bell clang into the crisp air singling my arrival to the kettle corn. Slowly and carefully I selected a large bag, it's plastic prison soft in my hands as I walked to the till. "Will that be all?" "You say that like I'm not about to make one of the most important purchases of my life!" The clerk looks at me funny. "Okay...Can I have the bag so that I can scan it?" I gasp. "You just want me to hand her over to you?" "Her? Um, I need to scan it, it's kind of how this works." Reluctantly, I handed over Elizabeth and he scanned her beautiful barcode. "Do you want a bag or a wedding band to go with this order?" "Do you have anything in sterling silver?" "That will be $4.95." The price nearly gives me a stroke, but I collect myself and run my finger down Elizabeth's silky side. "Don't you worry, Elizabeth. No matter the price, I'll pay it for you my precious." I shoved the money across the counter and told him to keep the change. I squirrel away into a corner of an ally (yes, I like to eat in corners, fuckin' sue me.) and with fingers trembling pulled the glossy tartan ribbon and an aroma of sugar and butter hit me square in the face. It was like getting punched in the face by The Rock. It was awesome.
And then I tasted her. Flavour caressed my taste buds and set off fireworks of joy inside my mouth. The salt balanced the sweet and the sweetness balanced the salt. There was just a hint of butter. So crisp that it made loud crunches between my rows of teeth. It was then that I knew I had stumbled upon a culinary delight. So simple, yet so rich in experience.
This brings me to the blog today. We're getting into the middle of autumn now and it's the perfect weather for snacks and a film in the later afternoon on weekend. I suppose I could have just bought some, but I figured it would be more fun for Pork Chop and me to pop up some corn before snuggling in to watch The Little Vampire.
What you need to make some!
32 tablespoons of unpopped popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons of salt
170ml vegetable oil
50g granulated sugar
50g brown sugar
*Note this will make a bucket of kettle corn*
In a large kettle pot pour in your vegetable oil and heat over a medium heat. Allow oil to become hot before adding your salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir together before adding in your popcorn kernels. Cover the pot to allow kernels to pop; to keep sugar from burning, shake pot every 20-30 seconds. Once the popping has slowed, remove the pot from heat keeping it covered and give it a few good shakes to ensure most if not all your kernels have popped. Pour into a large bowl and stir to break up any large clumps of sugar before serving.
I wish it went as smoothly as I described above. I wasn't fully paying attention while I was popping the corn and I turned away for a few minutes and...there was an explosion. The popping corn blew the lid of the kettle pot off and kettle corn began to rain down upon us. It kind of felt like I was Moses turning one of the plagues of Egypt as I dashed through the flying shrapnel to shut the heat off. Those little bastards still kept on popping and it was then when I realised just how much kettle corn I made. I'd never made popcorn like this and I didn't know just how much I'd really need. I'd always done those neat little-microwaved bags...now I know why the bags are so small before you pop them up. There are not that many kernels in them. So I made a kettle of kettle corn...it's been three days and we're still eating it. Honestly, this was a giant mistake. You can cut this recipe in half or if you're having a party or just want to eat this shit for the next week or so, make it all. Go wild.
LINKS
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dandelectables/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanDelectables
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandelectables/
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