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Spices and skillet skills make popcorn the star of your Academy Awards bash
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together at the bottom and heat doesn’t distribute evenly. No matter what sort of strange butter substitutes you’ve tasted at the movies, at home, your popcorn should use a good oil. Westend Bistro’s (1190 22 St. NW; 202-9744900) chef de cuisine, Joe Palma, who features a well-loved truffled popcorn on his bar bites menu, prefers canola or peanut oil, because they have high smoke points. “The hotter you can get your oil, the quicker the kernels are going to pop,” he says. “That way they soak up less oil and don’t get soggy.” Coconut, sunflower or pumpkin seed oil are also good choices. Whichever one you choose, you need only one or two tablespoons of it. Make sure the bottom of your pan is thinly coated before you turn
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FehAehd Bayou Bakery ($4, 1515 N. Courthouse Road, Arlington; 703-243-2410) There’s an old American saying: “Everything goes better with bacon.” To ensure you get your daily dose of swine, chef-owner David Guas created this sweet-savory caramel popcorn laced with pieces of porker, peanuts and a dash of cayenne.
the burner to a medium-high heat. Hannah Miles, author of “Popcorn Treats” ($16, Ryland Peters & Small), recommends putting a few kernels in while the oil is still cold. When they blossom with a bang, you know you’ve hit the right temperature for top popping. Once you’re primed to pop, put in about 1/2 cup of kernels (serves two to four) and put the lid on lockdown. Give the pan a quick shake to coat the kernels with oil, then shake it every 30 seconds to circulate the contents. Since you can’t see what you’re cooking, perk up your ears. First the stuff will pop slowly, then there will be an intense burst of activity, and then it will start to peter off. Take your pan off the heat when it gets down to five seconds between pops. “But leave the lid on for another minute or so, because some will still pop,” Miles says. “You don’t want them firing off around the kitchen.” Then it’s time to season your popcorn. The first addition should always be freshly melted salted butter (about 1/3 cup), which helps other ingredients stick. From there you can go sweet or a savory, or kettle corn style (both). Miles likes bringing together several ingredients so you don’t