Lemon, Parmesan and Black Pepper Popcorn
Perfect stovetop popcorn, straight from the locally grown kernel! Popcorn recipes are, as you know, incredibly adaptable, but we most admit that the lemon, pepper and parmesan are truly a trifecta of flavor. And the method here it the key, preheating the oil, coating the kernels evenly in the warm oil, and cracking the lid to avoid soggy popcorn, these are the true takeaways from this recipe. We also added in celery salt from the one and only ALLSTAR organics, but any of their herbed salts would be a fantastic addition.
INGREDIENTS
⅓ to ½ cup popcorn kernels (enough to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer)
2 to 3 tablespoons high heat “neutral" oil (like sunflower, avocado, etc - enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a shallow layer)
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, can also sub for classic nutritional yeast to make it vegan
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Sprinkling of ALLSTAR Organics salt blend or any salt of your choosing, to taste
Directions:
Place a large serving bowl near the stove. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid, a medium sized dutch oven works perfectly for this. Turn the heat up to medium-low, add 2 kernels of corn, and cover.
As soon as the kernels pop, remove the pan from heat and pour in the remaining popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and give the pot a little shimmy to distribute the kernels evenly. Let the kernels warm for about a minute.
Cook over medium-low heat, shaking the pot occasionally. Once the kernels start popping like crazy, crack the lid just a smidge so the popcorn stays crisp. Cook until the popping sound slows to about one pop per every few seconds. Remove the pan from heat.
Use a Microplane or other small grater to grate some lemon zest and Parmesan over the popcorn, to taste. Add pepper and salt as desired. Dish into a bowl or multiple if you can manage to share :)