Monday 31 March 2014

B.B.Q. Chicken Popcorn



As a caker, I’ve had a vested interest in the evolution of popcorn. First, there was oil and a pot. Then there was Jiffy Pop. Then the air popper came along. Then Orville Redenbacher showed up with those microwavable bags, stinking up work offices everywhere.

I can’t remember where I found The Popcorn Lover's Handbook, but every recipe involves popcorn, including St. Patrick’s Day popcorn and Popcorn Fondue. I opted for the B.B.Q. Chicken popcorn because I figured it was healthier than eating a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

As to how this tastes, well, you have to be a certain kind of person to enjoy this. First, you have to be the sort of person who believes B.B.Q. chicken-flavoured popcorn has a rightful place in this world. And secondly, you have to be the sort of person who thinks that B.B.Q. seasoning tastes like something barbequed and that chicken soup mix tastes like chicken. If you’re that sort of person, by all means, pop away. For the rest of you, stick with golden topping.

6 quarts of popped popcorn (see note)
1 ½ teaspoons B.B.Q. flavour
1 ½ teaspoons chicken soup mix

Divide popcorn into two equal batches and place each batch into a separate shaker bag. Sprinkle B.B.Q. flavour over first batch, close the bag tightly, shake and rotate bag until the popcorn is coated. Sprinkle chicken soup mix over second batch, close the bag tightly, shake and rotate bag until popcorn is coated. Pour contents of two shaker bags into a 8-quart pot and mix well with a wooden spoon. Salt to taste. Cool popcorn and place in storage containers.

Note: I used a ½ cup unpopped kernels, which yielded four quarts. So I reduced the flavouring to a teaspoon of each.


Source: The Popcorn Lover’s Handbook: Regular, Savory and Candied


12 comments:

  1. "Salt to taste"?? After you basically created a sodium bomb? Gotta love those old cookbooks that were published before anyone cared what they ate.
    Totally with you on the microwave popcorn--the taste is nasty and the smell is nauseating. Plus, there's always that one person who *burns the popcorn, and that's a smell that you can never get rid of. Have to buy a new microwave.

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    1. I was at work once and someone forgot about the popcorn in the microwave. Stunk up the whole office. Smoke and everything. Definitely not "Employee of the Month" material.

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  2. The chicken flavored popcorn sounds pretty gross. I was hoping the BBQ one would taste somewhat like BBQ potato chips.

    Now you have me hungry for a big bowl of kettle corn and bag of snack size Snickers.

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    1. I'm not a fan of kettle corn. It's too confusing. Is it sweet? Is it salty? Maybe it takes me back to a time when I was a kid and tried to making that pink Elephant popcorn at home. I used icing sugar. Needless to say, it wasn't a hit.

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  3. Is that fresh fruit and vegetables I spy lurking in the back of that photo? I fear someone may have kidnapped Brian - we must send help!

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    1. Don't you worry. All that fruit is plastic.

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  4. You know what's good on popcorn? Muthafarking Old Bay!

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    1. I had to look that up as we Canadians don't get muthafarking Old Bay. Is it like seasoned salt?

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  5. Very nice food styling Brian! A vintage chicken bowl for your BBQ chicken popcorn and fresh fruit in the background. Is this a caker still life portrait?

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    1. It could be. I think someone should make a paint-by-numbers out of that photo.

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  6. The mind boggles. I'm thinking of all the other possible combinations in the "soup in an envelope aisle" and the McCormick spice aisle. BTW, I covet your pyrex bowl.

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    1. Why not try cinnamon and oregano? Or poultry seasoning and nutmeg? The possibilities are endless! Glad you like the bowl. I went through a very intense Pyrex butterprint phase a few years back.

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