I’ve always loved popcorn. Popcorn to me is what ramen is to most college students—meaning, I ate popcorn for dinner more times in my late teens and early twenties than I care to admit. Once, in a fit of desperation after finding my fridge devoid of any sort of butter product, I decided to dress a bowl of freshly popped but oh-so-dry popcorn with soy sauce. And I’ve never looked back.
Soy sauce and butter are my everyday go-to toppings when I want a quick movie night snack. But the Oscars deserve more, no? Let’s build out that Asian-style flavor profile with some shakes of nutritional yeast (sounds gross, I know, but tastes like little flakes of nutty parmesan cheese) and crumbled nori on top. Then, let’s shift our focus from the Far East to the Lower East Side and take our flavor cues from the everything bagel with the appropriate spice mix and shallot brown butter. To me, red carpet snack time doesn’t get better than this.
Asian-Style Popcorn
Ingredients:
• 1/3 c popcorn kernels
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• soy sauce
• nutritional yeast
• roasted seaweed
Directions:
1. To make the popcorn, add canola oil to a large lidded pot over medium heat. Toss a few kernels into the pot, close the lid and wait until the kernels pop. Add the rest of the popcorn to the pot, shake to coat all kernels and remove from heat for 30 seconds.
2. Return the pot to the flame. Once the kernels start popping, shake the pot over the burner to encourage even cooking. Crack the lid if you can without letting all your popcorn escape (so you can let some steam out). Once all the kernels have popped, turn off the heat and pour popcorn into a large bowl.
3. Drizzle soy sauce over the popcorn to your taste, then shake a generous amount of nutritional yeast on top and toss so everything is evenly coated. To serve, scoop some popcorn into paper cones and top with crumbled seaweed (I buy these little packets in bulk from Costco).
Everything Bagel Popcorn
Ingredients:
• 1/3 c popcorn kernels
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 shallot
• unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp dried garlic
• 1 Tbsp dried onion
• 2 tsp coarse salt
Directions:
1. To make the everything bagel seasoning, combine poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and coarse salt in a small bowl. You’ll have plenty left over for all your everything bagel needs.
2. To make the brown butter, finely chop the shallot and add to a light-bottom pan with a few tablespoons of butter (depending on how buttery you like your popcorn). Cook the butter over medium heat, swirling until the butter is nicely browned and smells nutty. Transfer brown butter to a heat-proof bowl so it doesn’t burn while you make the popcorn.
3. To make the popcorn, add canola oil to a large lidded pot over medium heat. Toss a few kernels into the pot, close the lid and wait until the kernels pop. Add the rest of the popcorn to the pot, shake to coat all kernels and remove from heat for 30 seconds.
4. Return the pot to the flame. Once the kernels start popping, shake the pot over the burner to encourage even cooking. Crack the lid if you can without letting all your popcorn escape (so you can let some steam out). Once all the kernels have popped, turn off the heat and pour popcorn into a large bowl.
5. Drizzle the shallot brown butter over the popcorn, then shake a generous amount of everything bagel seasoning on top and toss to mix well.
