Perfect Movie Popcorn Food

THEATER-STYLE BUTTERED POPCORN

Steps:

• Movie theaters use butter-flavored oil, which has a lower water content than butter so it makes popcorn less soggy. Real clarified butter has the same effect. To make it, melt 2 sticks butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Let sit for a few minutes; the butter will separate into 3 layers. Skim off the top layer of foam, then slowly pour the clarified butter into a heatproof container; discard the bottom layer of milk solids. Use 3 tablespoons hot clarified butter for 10 cups popcorn; refrigerate the rest (it's great for sauteeing).

MOVIE THEATER POPCORN (SERIOUSLY)

Steps:

• Grind the kosher salt into a fine powder in a spice/coffee grinder (this step is very important).
• In a heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
• Place one kernel of corn in the pot, when it pops you are ready to add the other ingredients.
• After the kernel pops, add the popcorn and the finely ground salt into the pot and cover. Give the pot a vigorous shake to distribute corn, oil and salt.
• Pop until complete, I usually pop until there is only one or two pops per second.
• Do not burn!
• One Taste and you'll see it's perfect "Movie Theater Popcorn"!

PERFECT MOVIE POPCORN

Steps:

• Pour in the oil and heat the pan until oil shimmers, to about 400 degrees F(or medium high heat).
• Test one kernel by throwing it into the oil; place the lid on the popper and wait until it pops. Pour the rest of the popcorn into the pan, stirring the kernels until they are evenly coated.
• Cook for three minutes, exactly.
• Here's a tip from the Popcorn Council: "Old Maids" is a term for kernels that fail to pop and are often found at the bottom of the popcorn bowl. They can, however, be rejuvenated. The water in kernels is what causes popcorn to pop, so all you need to do is re-hydrate the dried kernels. David Woodside, author of What Makes Popcorn Pop? suggests filling "a one-quart jar three-quarters full of popcorn and adding one tablespoon of water. Cover the jar with an airtight lid and give it a few good shakes every few minutes until the popcorn has absorbed all the water. Store the jar in a cool place." Woodside says in two or three days you can test-pop a batch of kernels. If you still get old maids, add a few more drops of water to the jar, shake it, and let it sit for a few more days.

PERFECT POPCORN

Steps:

• Place the oil, popcorn and salt in a large, 6-quart, metal mixing bowl. Cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke 10 slits in the top with a knife.
• Place the bowl over medium heat and shake constantly using a pair of tongs to hold the bowl. Continue shaking until the popcorn finishes popping, approximately 3 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and carefully remove the foil. Stir in any salt that is on the side of the bowl.
• Melt the butter in the microwave. Slowly drizzle over the popcorn, while spinning the bowl. Serve immediately.

MOVIE THEATRE POPCORN

Steps:

• Pop the corn using your favorite method-- I use hot air-- and place it in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet.
• Bake the popcorn in a 200-210 degree oven for a minimum of 1 hour.
• I've let it bake for more than 4 hours and it just keeps getting better.
• Remove popcorn from oven and season with your favorite toppings-- I use olive oil and salt and sometimes a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
• But, melted butter and salt is also delicious.