Homemade Popcorn with Parmesan, Lemon and Thyme
Stovetop popcorn in a wide pan with the lid left slightly ajar, so the steam escapes and the corn stays crisp. Dressed with thyme warmed in melted butter, lemon zest and parmesan grated to a powder so it clings instead of sliding off.
Ingredients
For Popping
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil or grapeseed, avocado or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels 2 of them held back as test kernels
For the Butter and Cheese
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted with the thyme in it
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves stripped from the stems, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan about 2 ounces, microplaned to a powder
- 1 lemon zest only, about 1 teaspoon, grated fine
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Microwave-safe dish
- Zester or microplane
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Instructions
Mix the Seasoning
- Stir the grated parmesan and the lemon zest together in a small bowl. Melt the butter in a separate dish with the thyme leaves in it so the herb softens and gives up its oil, and set both aside within reach of the stove. Popcorn goes from perfect to burnt in about fifteen seconds, so nothing can be prepared afterward.
Pop the Corn
- Put the oil in a wide heavy pan of at least 4 quarts over medium heat, drop in 2 kernels and cover it. When both of them pop, the oil is at temperature.
- Add the rest of the kernels, shake the pan flat once so they lie in a single layer, and set the lid slightly ajar. A gap about a finger's width wide lets the steam out, which is what keeps the corn crisp rather than chewy.
- Shake the pan back and forth across the burner every few seconds so nothing sits still on the hot base. The popping builds, peaks and thins out over about 3 minutes. Pull the pan off the heat when the gap between pops reaches 2 to 3 seconds; waiting for silence scorches the bottom layer.
Butter, Cheese and Serve
- Tip the corn straight into a large bowl, leaving the last few unpopped kernels in the pan, and drizzle the thyme butter over it. Toss from the bottom of the bowl upward with two big spoons rather than stirring, which breaks the corn.
- Scatter the parmesan and lemon mixture over in three batches, tossing between each one, then season with the salt and the pepper. Taste and add more salt if it needs it. Serve immediately and do not cover the bowl.
Notes
Grate the parmesan on a microplane until it is a fluffy powder. Shreds and pre-grated cheese slide off buttered corn and end up at the bottom of the bowl; the anti-caking coating on pre-grated cheese makes that worse.
Add the cheese in three batches with a toss between each, while the butter is still warm and thin. Cooled butter sets into a film and nothing sticks to it.
Use fine sea salt or popcorn salt. Kosher and flaky crystals are too heavy to cling.
Never pop in butter or olive oil. Both burn well below the temperature the pan reaches. Refined coconut, grapeseed, avocado or plain vegetable oil all work.
Storage: best within 30 minutes. Plain popped corn keeps 2 days airtight at room temperature and buttered corn about 1 day. Never refrigerate it. Unpopped kernels keep 2 years in a sealed jar.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 2.5cups | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 0.7mg