Not exactly the perfect solution, but a good solution none the less: Kettle Corn from your microwave!
Corn, incidentally, is also a very popular snack in Thailand. Of course, we usually rost or boil it, rather than pop it, but it’s not unusual to see a person walking down the street noshing on a cob of the stuff. Steamed sweet potatoes, too. Yeah, we’re pretty hard up for snacks. Japan, however, seems to be at the root of this kettle corn craze. It’s not like what we find in the United States, exactly, but a popular way to eat popcorn is to sprinkle it with sugar and salt.
But back to the issue at hand. I promised you kettle corn coming out of your microwave, and thus, you shall have it. It’s far from a perfect method (I prefer a Whirly Pop for such things), but it definitely gets you your fix in a hurry, and doesn’t involve funky chemicals or preservatives.
You’ll Need:
1/3 cup plain, unpopped popcorn
1 – 2 tablespoons (approximately) coconut oil or other oil (my favorite is coconut oil)
2 – 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
salt, to taste
1 paper lunch bag
Method:
1) If using coconut oil, make sure it’s in a liquidy form, but not terribly hot, which may mean to measure it it out and nuke it for a few seconds (microwaves vary, so use your best judgement). If you’re using regular vegetable oil, omit the microwaving step. Toss the unpopped popcorn in the oil with the sugar and transfer the mixture into the paper lunch bag.
2) Fold over the mouth of the lunch bag several times to seal it. Lay the bag on one side on top of a plate or paper towel (this is just a safety precaution to prevent a messy oil slick in your microwave, in case the bag fails for whatever reason), making sure the kernels are spread out somewhat inside.
3) Microwave on high 3 – 5 minutes (again, microwaves vary), much like you would any other microwave popocorn packet, until you hear long pauses between pops. You’ll eventually get the hang of this…I’ve always found there was a learning curve to microwave popcorn, commercially-made or otherwise.
4) Open bag carefully, sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt, and shake around to coat with all the gooey-salty goodness. Pour out into a bowl and enjoy!
Like other microwave popcorn packets, expect to see some unpopped kernels. Stay away from these…they’re just not good to eat, and can give you a pretty costly dental bill as a result of trying.
If you’re not so keen on the kettle corn thing, you can try sprinkling butter, parmasean cheese, garlic powder, or dry salad dressing mix on top to flavor it however way you’d like. It’s all good. Shabbat Shalom!
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Regular paper bags, even those labeled “lunch bags,” may contain chemicals which can leach into the popcorn. Make sure to use bags labeled “food-grade” or “food-safe.”
This is a good point. Truth be told, I didn’t have any paper bags in my apartment at the time, so I folded up a piece of parchment paper to do the job…which also works!
To make this on the stove top, would you just put the flavor add-ins in the pot with the popcorn and oil (as opposed to adding them after the popping)?
You can absolutely do it on the stove top. My suggestions are: 1) use a heavy pot/pan, and 2) shake, shake, shake! But, you’re right, just put everything into the pot (except for the salt) so that the sugar caramelizes. In Japan, they would sprinkle the sugar on afterwards, but that’s a whole different flavor entirely (I much prefer American style kettle corn).
I’m sorry, forgot to mention – if you’re speaking of flavor add ins in general (eg, butter, cheese, garlic powder, powdered ranch dressing, etc.) put those on immediately after, while the popcorn is still hot. If the topping is especially gloppy, you can put the popcorn on a baking sheet, top with flavoring, and heat in a 100 – 200 degree oven for a half hour, tossing it every 10 minutes or so. Just don’t ever pop with dairy (unless it’s ghee)…it usually burns.