Old-Fashioned Kettle Corn

Jan 18, 2011 by Christie Matheson

4 Comments

print

10

Christie Matheson | Salty Sweets | Harvard Common Press, 2009 | Makes about 12 cups

Popcorn with salt and sugar sounds simple, but it’s addictive. This is fun to give guests at parties after dinner instead of a heavy dessert, especially if there’s a big game or a movie to be watched.–Christie Matheson
LC Fave Use For Spatter Screen Note: If you’ve ever made popcorn before, you know it’s something of a delicate dance to crack the lid just enough so that a little steam can escape, ensuring the popcorn is airy and not soggy, yet not so much that the lid topples off the pot, clattering to the floor and ensurin popcorn flies into all the far reaches of the kitchen. A far simpler solution is to rely on a splatter screen in place of a lid. Not only does this free up your hands and fend off grease spatters, it allows you to watch the popcorn pop, gleeful as a little kid. And, as experienced kettle corn makers know, it makes it easier to discern that crucial and opportune moment for sprinkling in the sugar, which is just after the bottom of the pot has been covered with popped corn but before the entire batch pops. It’s a nifty little tactic that ensures the sugar melts onto the corn but doesn’t scorch.

Old-Fashioned Kettle Corn Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

• 1/4 cup canola or other mild vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

2. Quickly shake the pan to distribute the kernels. When just enough kernels have popped to cover the bottom of the pan, sprinkle the salt and sugar over the kernels and continue to cook, shaking the pan constantly, until the popping slows, about 3 minutes. (Don’t wait for every kernels to pop or you may scorch the sugar and your popcorn.) Remove from the heat. Taste and season with a bit more salt, if desired. Serve immediately.1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place 4 or 5 popcorn kernels in the oil in the pan and cover with the lid. When the kernels pop, quickly open the lid just enough to pour in the rest of the popcorn kernels and replace the lid.

Get more deliciousness at Old-Fashioned Kettle Corn Recipe | Leite's Culinaria 

French Toast--by Alton Brown

(Original recipe found here)

Ingredients

• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

banana bread

Strawberry Bruschetta with Lemon Cream--a winning recipe from my sweet friend rachel!

1 baguette
3-4 T butter, softened
3-4 T white sugar
2 C diced strawberries
1 1/2 t balsamic vinegar
2 t honey
1/2 C whipped cream cheese
1 t. Lemon zest

1. Slice baguette in half . Butter one side
2. Toast in frying pan over medium heat until golden brown Sprinkle with sugar
3. Combine whipped cream cheese and lemon zest. Spread 1 t over each slice of toasted bread.
4. Combine strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Spoon about 1 T over bread with lemon cream.
5. Enjoy

taco salad

TACO SALAD

SERVINGS: 4 PREP TIME: 20 mins COOK TIME: 15 mins SUBMITTED BY: Sam Smith SUBMISSION DATE:8/22/2008 SUBMITTER LOCATION:Meadow Vista, CA

INGREDIENTS   1 pkg Fresh Gourmet® Lightly Salted Crispy Onions 1 pkg Fresh Gourmet® Lightly Salted Tortilla Strips 1 pound lean ground beef 1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained 1 medium size head iceberg lettuce, shredded 1 cup shredded chedder or jack cheese 2 medium-size tomatoes, cut in wedges 2 tsp chili powder sliced ripe olives sour cream

Turkey Salad with cranberries and glazed walnuts

TURKEY SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES & GLAZED WALNUTS

SERVINGS: 4 PREP TIME: 20 mins COOK TIME: 5 mins

INGREDIENTS   1 cup Fresh Gourmet® Cranberries & Glazed Walnuts mix 2 cups cooked turkey, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced 4 cups mixed salad greens Dressing: 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, jelly style 4 tbsp mayonnaise 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 4 tsp dijon mustard   DIRECTIONS   In a serving bowl, combine lettuce, turkey, onion, carrots and Fresh Gourmet® Cranberries & Glazed Walnuts mix. Divide onto individual plates. Serve with dressing. Dressing: Crush the cranberry sauce into small pieces. Mix with mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard until well blended.

malted cornmeal pancakes with orange blueberry syrup

See this link for the original recipe post. Malted Cornmeal Pancakes Makes 18 4 1/2 inch pancakes 1 1/3 cups yellow cornmeal 1 cup pastry flour (or mix 1/3 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup cake flour) 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups buttermilk 2 tablespoons malt syrup 1 tablespoon oil 1. Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir to mix. Add the corn to dry ingredients, and mix. 2. Combine 3 tablespoons melted butter, the eggs, buttermilk and malt syrup. Stir into the corn mixture. 3. Heat the griddle. Combine the remaining tablespoon of butter with the oil and brush lightly over the griddle. Pour on about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook each pancake 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottom turns golden brown, then flip, cook the other side, about 3 minutes total. Serve hot with Orange-Blueberry Syrup. Orange-Blueberry Syrup Peel of 2 to 3 oranges 2 cups sugar 1 cup orange juice 2 cups blueberries 1. Peel the oranges with a vegetable peeler, eliminating any white pith. Combine the peel and sugar in a food processor and process 2 to 3 minutes. 2. Pour the juice into a nonaluminum saucepan. Add the peel-sugar mixture and bring just to a boil, skimming off any foam. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly. Mix in blueberries and cook 1 minute. Serve warm. *I used all-purpose flour only, since I didn't have any pastry flour, and they turned out wonderfully. I also made half of the syrup, and it was plenty.