You Should Immediately Prepare Popcorn With Lemon and Capers
I love powdered popcorn, whether it’s cheese powder or just fine, ground salt . So when I saw this Cook’s illustrated article on caper powder (and miso and chives), I wasn’t thinking about rice or vegetables or chicken or fish—I was only thinking about popcorn. But caper popcorn was not enough. I love salt, but capers have a zesty spiciness that calls for a bit of lemon. Thus was born popcorn with lemon capers.
Lemon juice obviously won’t do, as wet popcorn is disgusting. However, the zest works wonderfully and provides the fresh, intoxicating aroma and flavor needed to balance the caper’s whimsical, salty taste.
I prepared the caper powder exactly as directed in Cook’s Illustrated, only I didn’t rinse the capers first, as I don’t believe in washing capers. I also microwaved them a little longer than the prescribed 8-10 minutes as they weren’t completely dry in that time. Once they were nice and crispy, I let them cool, ground them in a spice grinder, and mixed them with fresh corn and lemon zest. The result was divine and I strongly recommend doing it as soon as possible.
Popcorn with lemon and capers
Ingredients:
- Popcorn
- Olive oil
- can of capers
- Lemon
Drain the caper jar and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer them to a microwave-safe plate and fry at half power in two-minute intervals until they are dry and crispy and you can see white salt flecks on the outside. Let them cool completely, then grind in a spice grinder to make a powder.
Prepare popcorn as usual. Olive oil is a natural choice, but most importantly, use more fat than you think you need. (I usually use the Jessica Koslow ratio: 1/2 cup oil to 1/3 cup unopened kernels .) Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the caper powder, tasting until you reach your desired salt level. Grate some fresh lemon zest on top and enjoy.