Popcorn unpicked: how to make the (almost) perfect stove-top snack

Might this be the best popcorn making method?

My (almost) perfect home made popcorn. Sarah Maisey / The National

I have never been a big fan of meals, preferring instead to nibble the day away with the likes of nuts, crackers and dates. In the never ending quest to find the perfect snack, therefore, thoughts turned recently to popcorn. Filled with excitement at the prospect of something new, I set about trying to find the recipe for perfect, stove top, just-like-in-the-cinema popped corn.

Here are some tips for the best fool-proof, stove-top popcorn ...

Use a good pan

Every recipe calls for a good quality, heavy bottom sauce pan (with lid) that will distribute the heat evenly, meaning less burnt kernels. A rummage in the cupboard revealed I do not own such a thing, so I had to resort to a cheap (read thin) sauce pan and lid.

Use a heavy bottom pan, like this one by Staub. Courtesy Staub

Choose a good quality oil 

Popcorn will take part of its flavour from the oil it is cooked in, so it makes sense to use something you like the taste of. Olive oils and coconut oils are both good options but burn easily, so the process needs to be carefully watched. Use about a tablespoon.

Go easy on the heat

Use a medium heat. Tempting though it may be to turn up the heat to speed up the process, it will just burn the oil, resulting in an unpleasant charcoal taste. Instead be patient and heat the oil gently.

Check the temperature

Check to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping a couple of kernels into it. Using more than one kernel checks the oil in different places, rather than in just one spot. When they pop, the oil is ready.

For stove-top popcorn you want to buy plain kernels.

Remove from the heat

Once the test kernels have popped, remove the pan from the heat (this bit is important.)

Add kernels to form an even layer over the bottom of the pan, and shake or stir well to ensure an even coating in oil.  Leave off the heat for one minute to bring kernels to the same temperature, and increase the likelihood of all popping at the same time. Then, put the pan back on the heat, with the lid on and wait. If the lid is glass, even better, as you get to watch the corn exploding.

Let the steam out & keep shaking

Once the popcorn starts popping, tilt the lid slightly to let the steam out. This will keep the corn crisp, but don’t over do it or you will end up with popcorn all over the floor. If the popcorn doesn’t all pop at the same time (mine certainly didn’t) don’t worry, just shake the pan to redistribute the kernels in the heat. With my inferior pan, this meant rather a lot of shaking, but we got there in the end.

The authors attempt at home made popcorn. Photo by Sarah Maisey

Bon Appetite

The result: (almost) perfectly popped corn. OK this isn't cinema perfect, as I ended up with a few darkened bits (not burnt, just sort of smokey looking) and a handful of kernels abandoned at the bottom of the pan. In hindsight, the heavy pan seems to be a deal breaker. But even with a decidedly flimsy pot, the trick of leaving the kernels off the heat for one minute seems to be what makes the difference. In my case, that meant going from scraping a welded mass off the bottom of a pan, to tucking into a deliciously crunchy bowl of popped corn.