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This is a slightly sweet, slightly salty Butter Popcorn that has real butter flavour you will never be able to buy in bags! I’m also going to share the simple secret to prevent popcorn getting soggy and to keep popcorn crispy for days and days….

Butter Popcorn – slightly salty & lightly sweet

You know how popcorn goes soggy within 10 minutes when you douse with melted butter? That’s because butter contains 15% water. Yes, water is what is making your popcorn soggy!

So if you’re wondering how to keep popcorn from going soggy, the answer is clarified butter instead of normal butter.

What you need

Here’s what you need: popcorn kernels, salt, icing sugar/powdered sugar and clarified butter (just simmered normal butter! Read on…).

Clarified butter (or ghee)

• Why you need it – for intense buttery flavour while keeping your popcorn crispy instead of going soggy like normal butter does
• How to make it (or buy it!) – melt butter then simmer for 10 minutes to evaporate the water content. See separate recipe for full directions – How to make Clarified Butter and Ghee.

Note: Ghee is a purer form of clarified butter that is used in Indian cooking. It tastes the same as Clarified Butter which is associated with European cooking (like Swiss Potato Rosti!)

Popcorn Salt

• Why you need it – because normal salt grains are too large to stick to popcorn. It all ends up at the bottom of the bowl!
• How to make it – just grind ordinary salt into a fine powder using your chosen method (mortar and pestle, spice grinder). It takes seconds.
• How much to use – I only use 1/2 teaspoon for 13 cups of popcorn (which is 2/3 cup of kernels). This does not sound like much, but it’s actually double in volume before being ground down into a fine powder and also this popcorn is deliberately made to be only slightly salty because it also gets flavour from a touch of sweet, If it was just salt, I’d probably add a touch more.

Icing sugar / powdered sugar

• Why you need it – for a light dusting of sweet on the popcorn. Normal sugar won’t stick to popcorn – unless you use lots and melt it, like with Caramel Popcorn!
• How to do it – use a small sieve to sprinkle it over the popcorn, for even coverage and to remove lumps.
• How much to use – I only use 2 tablespoons which makes it lightly sweet. Because the whole point of this popcorn is that it’s slightly sweet and slightly salt, an addictive can’t-stop-nibbling combination that won’t have you guzzling down a gallon of water!

Storing – keeping popcorn crispy for days!

Using clarified butter instead of normal butter means the popcorn will stay crispy – not just for the duration of your movie, but for days! Super handy snack stash, school lunches, and making ahead for big gatherings.

As soon as it’s fully cool, transfer to an airtight container then store it in the pantry. Here are a few tips:

• Goes stale! Popcorn does go stale quite quickly, being the fragile little things they are, so don’t leave them lying around for ages if you want to preserve freshness for another day;
• Fully cool – Make sure it’s fully cool before putting the lid on. Impatience will result in condensation inside the container which will make your popcorn soggy;
• Bake to perk – If your popcorn needs a perk up, just pour it into a baking pan (up to about 5cm/2″ deep is fine) then bake in a low 110°C/230°F oven for 30 minutes to dry it out. Note: there will be slight shrinkage.

So now you know the secret to stay-crispy ultra-buttery homemade popcorn! Well actually, those of you who are familiar with my Yellow Movie Popcorn recipe already know these tricks. We’re just bringing everyone else up to speed!

And in case you need a reason to get on the Popcorn Train, here’s 5 reasons why you should should try homemade popcorn:

1. really butter flavour your can’t buy!
2. easy to make in large volumes;
3. healthier than most snacks – see my tips above for Diet Butter Popcorn;
4. it’s versatile (eg sweet Caramel Corn or savoury Movie Popcorn);
5. it’s cheap; and
6. it has fun factor that appeals to kids and grown ups alike!

Movie night tonight?? – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Lightly Salted Slightly Sweet Butter Popcorn (crispy for days)

Recipe video above. This is a homemade version of a very popular slightly sweet and salty Butter Popcorn sold at grocery stores (Cobs brand, for those of you in Australia!). I love it – so I replicated it so I could serve giant bowls of it when I have friends around. It's always a hit!

BONUS – stays crispy for days! The secret is clarified butter which is 100% fat. Normal butter is 15% water so it makes popcorn soggy. It's a Movie Popcorn secret!

Course Snacks

Cuisine Western

Keyword butter popcorn, stovetop popcorn

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 13 cups

Calories 65cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Popcorn:

• 2/3 cups popping corn
• 2 tbsp clarified butter or ghee , for stovetop (Note 1)

Popcorn Salt:

• 1 tbsp salt (you won't use it all, Note 2)

For Tossing:

• 3 tbsp clarified butter or ghee , melted (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp Popcorn Salt (per directions below)
• 2 tbsp icing sugar / powdered sugar

Instructions

Pop Popcorn:

• Pop the kernels using your method of choice – popcorn maker or stove (steps below).
• Heat fat: Heat / melt clarified butter or oil in a large pot over medium high heat (medium for strong stoves). Add a few pieces of popcorn and wait until it pops – this means it is hot enough. Quickly remove popcorn.
• Add popcorn: Add remaining popcorn, elevate off stove to shake and spread corn out evenly. Cover with a lid. Once the popcorn starts popping in earnest, shake the pot gently once.
• Done! Remove from heat when the popping stops (when you can count to 3 between pops) and transfer to a (very!) large bowl.

Popcorn Salt

• Place salt in a mortar and pestle then grind into a fine powder. You could also do this using a spice grinder. You won't use it all, but it's hard to work with less.

Sprinkle & toss!

• Drizzle butter all over the surace. Sprinkle with half the salt, then use small sieve to dust with half the icing sugar.
• Toss very well in large bowl. Then sprinkle with remaining salt and dust with remaining icing sugar. Toss well again. At this stage you can add more sugar or salt, to your taste – the above quantities make it slightly salty and lightly sweet which I love!

Notes

1. Secret to popcorn that stays crispy is to use clarified butter or ghee (same thing). It’s butter with water and milk solids removed so it has a more intense butter flavour and it won’t make your popcorn soggy.

Sold in jars labelled “ghee” in the Indian section of large supermarkets (Coles/Woolies) and cheaper at Indian stores. Or make your own – it’s super easy and cheaper, lasts for months in the pantry and you will use it to pan fry and roast everything!

In Europe/UK, clarified butter in jars is also quite common.

2. Popcorn Salt – you need to grind salt into a fine powder otherwise it won’t stick to the popcorn, it all ends up in the bottom of the bowl.

3. Storage – transfer to airtight container as soon as it has fully cooled. Will be quite crispy for days! Stovetop popped popcorn is crispier than air popped (ie popcorn maker).

Make it crispier! If it’s softer than you’d like, bake it at 110C/230F for 30 minutes (you can fill the pan 5cm/2″ deep), no stirring required. This makes it super crispy again!

4. Nutrition per cup of popcorn.

Nutrition

Calories: 65cal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

I huff and puff and express exasperation that he squishes his way into my already crowded shoot area…. but you and I both know that I secretly love that he’s always around!

The post Slightly Sweet & Lightly Salty Butter Popcorn (stays crispy!) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This Creamy Lemon Herb Baked Risotto recipe uses an entirely hands off method of cooking risotto in the oven. Unlike usual risotto recipes, there’s no need to stir, you don’t even need to sauté onion!

It’s incredibly luscious yet also fresh from the herbs and lemon. Pairs especially well with fish, prawns and chicken.

Effortless creamy Baked Risotto recipe

There will always be a place for risotto made the traditional way, stirring leisurely on the stove for a good 25 minutes.

This no-stir no-saute “dump and bake” risotto recipe is for all the other times. It is:

• incredibly creamy;
• perfectly cooked “al dente” rice;
• requires no stirring during cooking – not even once; and
• does not even require sautéing of onion or garlic beforehand – it “self sautés” in butter in the oven because it floats.

I tell people it is 98.5% as good as the traditional way made on the stove where hot stock is gradually ladled in, and you have to stir constantly for 25 minutes. But truthfully, most ordinary folk would not be able to tell the difference. Hand on heart, it is that good!

What you need for creamy baked risotto

Here’s what you need to make this entirely hands off creamy risotto in the oven. The base recipe is a creamy Parmesan Risotto which is delicious just as it is, but I’ve also added a Lemon Herb flavouring option which is insanely good!

• Risotto rice – to make risotto, you need to use risotto rice which is called Arborio rice, it’s different to ordinary white rice because it’s got a higher level of starch on the surface which thickens the cooking liquid used and makes the risotto beautifully creamy without the need for cream;
• Chicken stock/broth – we use a whole carton in this recipe (4 cups / 1 litre). Nice and handy because no measuring is required! Be sure to use low sodium (ie low salt) otherwise the end result will be a touch on the salty side after the parmesan is added;
• Parmesan – for a umami flavour punch, to compensate for not sautéing the garlic and onion nor deglazing the pot using white wine like I do with all my stovetop risottos like my favourite Mushroom Risotto;
• Garlic and onion – finely chopped and minced, just like normal;
• Butter – some for the cooking part, some to stir in at the end. You can cut down on the butter at the end if you insist, but don’t skimp on the butter for the cooking part because the onion and garlic “self-sautes” in the butter. If you cut the butter down, the onion will just boil!

This is what the plain Creamy Parmesan Risotto looks like. I call it “plain” – but there’s certainly nothing plain about how it tastes!!

Lemon Herb flavouring option

To make the Lemon Herb flavour, all you need is one lemon, and any herbs of choice – I used parsley, chives and dill.

• Lemon – we use the lemon rind for lemon flavour, as well as the juice for freshness; and
• Herbs  – I’ve used a 1-2-3 combination of parsley (1 tbsp), chives (2 tbsp) and dill (3 tbsp). Using a ratio like that is a good way to find a good balance with a herb flavour (dill, in this case) with complimentary flavours (parsley and chives in this case, both of which are more subtle). You can use any herbs you want and it’s easy to figure out how much to add because we just add the herbs in right at the end so just keep adding to your taste!

How to make Creamy Baked Risotto

Recipes don’t get any easier than this – put it all in a dish, cover and bake! (OK OK, there is stirring required at the end, but I still stand that it’s a “dump and bake” recipe!)

1. Heat stock using whatever means you want – stove, microwave. Just until hot and steamy, doesn’t need to boil. This ensure the rice cooks evenly. Can’t be bothered? That’s fine too. Just add 10 – 12 minutes to the bake time, to factor in the time it takes for the stock to heat up in the oven;
2. Put everything in casserole dish – the rice, stock, butter, onion and garlic;
3. Bake 35 minutes – cover then bake for 35 minutes, or until the rice is just cooked. Not all ovens are created equal so it may take a bit longer in yours;
4. Liquidy – yes it will look watery when you take it out and it won’t look creamy or appetising at all. But have faith! It will become creamy in the next step…
5. Stir vigorously – Add the parmesan and extra butter, then stir the risotto vigorously until you see the liquid starting to thicken and turn white. By stirring the risotto, you are activating the starch in the risotto which reacts with fat (butter in this case) and thickens the liquid to make it creamy!
6. Thick and creamy, not dry and stodgy! The risotto should be thick and creamy, and ooze rather than be stodgy and dry. Nobody likes stodgy risotto!
7. Lemon and herbs last, if using – lastly, add the lemon and fresh herbs. We do this right at the end to preserve the fresh flavour; and
8. Plate up quickly while it’s still oozy and creamy! If it gets too thick, just add 1 tbsp of boiling water at a time and stir it in well to loosen it up.

Reheating Risotto – this one reheats well!

Ordinarily you will read in recipes that risotto does not keep well and that leftovers are just good for making Arancini balls. And there’s no denying that risotto is at its best when freshly made!

However, if you cook the risotto rice so it is just tender (rather than mushy and soft) and the risotto is creamy enough (like pictured) it actually reheats very very well. Nice and creamy, and 100% delicious!

What to serve with risotto

Risotto is a wonderful side dish that’s somehow both comforting and rustic and can also be plated up very elegantly. I think of it as a side dish / sauce – because it’s so creamy, and ideal for mopping up with each bite of steak or chops, prawns or fish.

The Lemon Herb Risotto is particular excellent with fish, being that fish loves lemon, and the soft texture of the risotto isn’t too harsh against tender fish flesh.

In fact, I’m sharing this risotto recipe today by popular demand after I showed the Lemon Herb Risotto as the side dish for a Crispy Skin Salmon I shared on Monday! That is why the risotto is heavy on the dill – because dill and salmon is a natural pairing! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Creamy Baked Risotto (no-stir, no-saute!)

Recipe video above.

Course Sides

Cuisine Italian, Western

Keyword baked risotto, easy risotto recipe, lemon herb risotto recipe, risotto recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 5 – 6 as a side

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Risotto:

• 1 1/2 cups risotto rice (Note 1)
• 4 cups chicken stock , low sodium (or vegetable)
• 1/2 onion , finely diced (brown, white, yellow)
• 1 garlic clove , finely minced (large!)
• 30g/ 2 tbsp butter , unsalted, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Finishes:

• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated (store bought pre grated is fine)
• 30g/ 2 tbsp Extra butter , unsalted, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces (Note 3)

Lemon Herb Flavour (excellent with fish & prawns, Note 4):

• 2 tsp lemon rind (1 lemon)
• 2 – 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chives , finely chopped
• 3 tbsp dill , finely chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
• Heat up the chicken stock until just before boiling using whatever method suits – stove or microwave.
• Pour the stock into a small casserole pot ~24cm/10″ wide. Then add all the remaining Risotto ingredients – rice, butter, onion, garlic, pepper.
• Cover with lid or foil, bake 35 minutes or until rice is just cooked – tender but not mushy. The risotto will still look liquidy – that’s what you want to ensure risotto is creamy at the end!
• Remove from oven, stir ta few times to break up rice. Add Extra butter and parmesan, then stir vigorously until the watery liquid becomes creamy, and mostly evaporates/gets absorbed.
• Risotto should be oozy and creamy, not thick, gluey or stodgy. If it gets too thick, add 1 tbsp of boiling water at a time to loosen it up, stirring well after each addition.
• Taste to see if you want more salt or pepper (I do not).
• Serve while hot and creamy, garnished with more parmesan if desired!

Lemon Herb flavouring option:

• Add lemon rind, juice and herbs, stir through gently just before serving.

Notes

1. Risotto rice – Risotto needs to be made with risotto rice (Arborio rice) because it’s extra starchy and this is what makes risotto beautifully creamy without the use of cream. Find it in the rice section of grocery stores.

2. Pot/pan – 20cm/8″ square pan also works, or similar volume any other size. Just don’t want to use a giant pan because then the risotto spreads too thin and might dry out.

If you scale recipe up, then you need a larger pot. Or down!

3. Extra butter – if you really want to reduce the fat, you can skip the Extra butter. But do NOT skimp on butter for the cooking phase – it is essential for the onion and garlic to “oven saute” in the butter while it bakes (it floats on the sauce with the butter). Otherwise, the onion just boils in stock – not as nice!

4. Herbs – any other herbs of choice is fine here, easy to adjust because you just add it right at the end and taste to decide when you’ve used enough!

5. Storage & reheating – unlike most risottos, this one will reheat well as long as the rice is cooked until tender not mushy and soft. Keeps 4 days in the fridge, reheat in microwave. Add touch of water if needed to loosen. Note that herbs may lose colour. Also lemon flavour fades, so consider tarting it up with a fresh spritz.

Life of Dozer

That time he tried to plead innocence over the big wet patch on my newly mopped floors….

The post Creamy Lemon Herb Baked Risotto (no-stir, no-sauté) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Crispy Salmon Skin is the crackling of the sea! Making crispy skin salmon is as simple as ensuring the skin is dry, and using enough oil so the skin goes golden and crispy rather than just burning. Easy!

Crispy Salmon Skin

I’m always one for saucing up my salmon (Honey Garlic Salmon will always be my favourite child) or marinating it (and here’s my favourite salmon marinade) or cooking it up in a sticky sauce (Asian Glazed Salmon is a reader hit!).

But when you know how to cook salmon so the skin is crispy from end to end, you don’t need to fuss with all that. The extra textural element and flavour you get from the crispy golden skin is all you need for a salmon dinner. Serve it naked, straight up!

And if you’re wondering just how crispy we get that skin? THIS crispy (volume ON!)

What you need to make Crispy Salmon Skin

All you need is salmon with the skin on (duh!), oil, salt and pepper.

• Skin on salmon – Make sure the fish is pin boned ie. little bones removed. Good fish mongers should pinion fish by default. To check, just run your fingers along the surface and the sides – you will feel if there are any bones inside. Use a fish bone tweezers (or even personal grooming tweezers!) to remove;
• Oil – olive oil is my preferred oil to use, but any cooking oil will work just fine here; and
• Salt and pepper – not only for flavour, but also to give the crust an extra little edge of crunch!

How to make crispy skin salmon

The two key things to ensure crispy salmon skin are dry skin, and not skimping on oil! If you skimp on oil, the skin will just burn instead of going golden, and it really won’t be that crispy.

1. Pat dry + optional fridge dry – Crispy skin requires dry flesh, so pat it dry with a paper towel. If time permits, leave the salmon skin side up in the fridge for an hour or so – this will air dry the skin even more. If the salmon was vacuum sealed (which prolongs the shelf life), I really recommend this fridge drying step because the skin gets fully “soaked” with fish juices;
2. Oil, salt and pepper – drizzle the fish with a tiny bit of oil and spread with fingers, just to give the salt and pepper something to adhere to. Make sure you do this just before cooking because the salt will draw moisture out of the salmon skin which will make it sweat = bad for crispy skin!
3. Skin side down first – put enough oil in a non stick skillet so the base is fully covered. Do not skimp on the oil – you need oil to ensure the skin goes crispy and golden instead of burnt and patchy. Heat the oil on medium high, then put the salmon in skin side down and turn down to medium;
4. Press down – using a spatula or even tongs, press down on each salmon for 10 seconds so the skin lies flat against the skillet and “sets” flat. Unlike other fish, skin curling is not such a problem with salmon skin, but pressing down ensures that we get crispy skin from end to end;
5. Turn after 7 minutes – cook the salmon 3/4 of the way through skin side down. It’s easy to tell when salmon is cooked – just look at the side of the salmon. When it changes from translucent to opaque 3/4 of the way up the salmon, that means it is cooked 3/4 of the way through. Now it’s time to turn the the salmon;
6. Cook 1 1/2 minutes flesh side down – it won’t take long on the flesh side;
7. Turn again – for crispy skin assurance!! My little trick to ensure super crispy salmon skin hits the table every time is to turn the salmon one more time and cook the skin for another 90 seconds so it’s super hot and crisp when you plate it up. Fish skin loses crispiness when it cools down (unless you deep fry it) so by giving the skin one last blast before taking it off the stove, it will stay crispy for longer!
8. Skin side UP!!! Plate up skin side up – to preserve that crispy skin! Also, do not put sauce on the skin, it will make it soggy almost instantly.

Here’s a close up of the salmon skin so you can see how crispy it is, and how wafer thin it is. To hear how crispy it is, just watch the recipe video!

What to serve with Salmon with Crispy Skin

A well seasoned, perfectly cooked salmon that’s juicy inside can be served plain because it’s an oily fish with plenty of flavour in the flesh. With the crispy skin as an extra element, it really doesn’t need anything else except perhaps a wedge of lemon!

It’s pictured with a lemony herb risotto which serves as a side and a semi-sauce because it’s so nice and creamy, you sort of scoop it up with the salmon. Want the recipe? (And what if I told you there’s an entirely hands-off oven way to make creamy risottos??)

But if you do want a simple sauce, try this Creamy Dill Sauce for Salmon. Quick to prepare, and a lovely fresh contrast to this rich fish, plus dill and salmon is always a classic pairing. Then choose a side salad or veggie side, and add some crusty bread to complete your meal! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Crispy Salmon Skin

Recipe video above. Cooking salmon so the skin is crispy from end to end is as simple as ensuring the skin is dry, and you use enough oil to cover the base of the skillet so the skin goes golden and crispy rather than just burning. Easy!

Course Mains

Cuisine Western

Keyword Crispy salmon skin, Crispy skin salmon

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 255cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets , skin on (Note 1)
• 1 tsp olive oil (or other natural cooking oil)
• 1 tsp salt , cooking/kosher (3/4 tsp table salt, Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Cooking:

• 2 tbsp olive oil (or other natural cooking oil)

Serving:

• Lemon wedges

Instructions

• Dry skin: Pat the skin of the salmon dry with a paper towel. If time permits, place the salmon skin side up in the fridge for 1 hour (uncovered,) to dry it out even more.
• Season: Drizzle flesh side with half a tiny bit of oil, spread with fingers, then sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Flip skin side up, then repeat with oil, salt and pepper. Do not do this step until just before cooking.
• Heat oil: Put enough oil in a large non stick skillet so it fully covers the base. Heat on medium high until it shimmers.
• Skin side down: Place salmon in the skillet skin side down, then immediately turn the head down to medium.
• Press down: Using a spatula, press down on each salmon for 10 seconds so the skin lies flat against the skillet and "sets". Repeat with each salmon.
• Cook 7 minutes: Cook for 7 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked 3/4 of the way through (you will see the colour changing up the side of the salmon) and the skin is crispy.
• 90 sec on flesh: Turn the salmon and cook for just 90 seconds.
• Final skin blast! (My secret tip) Turn the salmon again, turn the heat up to medium high and cook the skin side again for 1 minute, just to give it a final blast of heat to reinforce crispiness!
• Serve skin side UP to protect the crispy skin. Fish skin will only stay crispy while it's hot, so serve asap! Pictured in post with creamy lemon herb risotto which acts as a side dish and semi-sauce – want the recipe?

Notes

1. Salmon – in theory, you can do this for as many salmon as you want, it’s just about how many you can handle in one batch. Also, don’t crowd the skillet – the salmon will just steam instead of pan fry!

Any size is fine, a standard serving is typically around 150 – 180g / 5 – 6oz per person.

2. Salt – cooking/kosher salt are slightly larger grains than table salt, intended for more easy handling for cooking purposes. So if you use table salt, you need to use less otherwise it will be too salty.

3. Nutrition per serving, assuming 150g/5oz per fillet and that half the oil is consumed.

Nutrition

Calories: 255cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer swears that skin is crispy…. Volume on so you can hear for yourself!

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