ALDEAN AND POPCORN?

ALDEAN AND POPCORN? - NOVEMBER 12, 2012

ALDEAN NUKES POPCORN LIKE A PRO

We had movie night on Saturday night, watching “We Bought A Zoo”, the Matt Damon film about a widower who buys a zoo in a desperate attempt to reconnect with his children.  Popcorn being the staple of movie night, I prefer mine cooked on the stove top-in a pan with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.  No butter, that is for sissies.  One country singer likes his from the microwave, though:

Jason Aldean has sold out stadium shows and reached multi-Platinum status for the music he creates, but there is another talent the singer is proud. Jason tells People, "I'm a popcorn lover, and at night if I'm watching a game, I'll throw in a bag and snack on it. I can cook popcorn in the microwave like nobody's business."

Some delicious homemade popcorn recipes are out there, and here are just a few:

Popcorn With Brown Butter and Parmesan

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 05m| Total Time: 10m

Ingredients

·         1  3.5-ounce package microwave popcorn or 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

·         3  tablespoons  unsalted butter

·         3  tablespoons  grated Parmesan

·         kosher salt

Directions

1.     Pop the popcorn according to the package directions.

2.     Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a skillet or small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl or stir the butter with a wooden spoon as it starts to foam and sputter. Remove the butter from the heat as soon as it begins to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 1 minute.

3.     Drizzle over the popcorn. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and ¼ teaspoon salt and toss well.

By Sara Quessenberry , May, 2007

Garlic Oil and Pecorino Popcorn

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 03m| Total Time: 06m

Ingredients

·         1  3.5-ounce package  microwave popcorn or 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

·         2  tablespoons  olive oil

·         2  cloves  garlic

·         1/2  cup  finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

·         1/2  teaspoon  salt

Directions

1.     Pop the popcorn according to the package directions.

2.     Heat the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Discard the garlic.

3.     In a large bowl, toss the popcorn with the oil, Pecorino, and salt.

Caramel Corn

Makes 6 cups| Hands-On Time: 20m| Total Time: 1hr 00m

Ingredients

·         nonstick cooking spray

·         3  tablespoons  canola oil

·         1/4  cup  popcorn kernels

·         6  tablespoons  unsalted butter, cut into pieces

·         1/3  cup  packed light brown sugar

·         3  tablespoons  light corn syrup

·         1  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract

·         1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt

Directions

1.     Heat oven to 300° F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with the cooking spray.

2.     Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, cover, and cook, shaking the saucepan constantly once the kernels begin to pop, until there is a 2- to 3-second interval between pops, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

3.     In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and lightens in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour over the cooked popcorn and, with a rubber spatula, toss to coat.

4.     Spread the popcorn mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until deep amber, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, toss, and let cool on the baking sheet. (The popcorn will crisp as it cools.)

By Emily McKenna , October, 2011