Kettle corn

Sometimes when we're in downtown Honolulu, we drive to this vacant parking lot where a concession is set up to sell kettle corn. If you're not familiar with kettle corn, it's popcorn with sugar added.

I've always wondered when the sugar was added to the popcorn as it's cooking, because if you add it too early it will burn, and if you add it too late it will clump up or it won't melt. My uncle recently told me to add it at the very end of the popping.

Typically I make popcorn in my wok. First I coat the bottom with vegetable oil (or sometimes for a treat I add bacon drippings, if I have them). Then I turn the heat on and add the raw kernels and cover it. In about 3 minutes it starts popping, and I shake the wok to redistribute the kernels. You need the cover on because the first kernels will pop out of the wok. But after most of the popcorn is popped, the volume of the popcorn will keep popping kernels in. At this point, you open the lid and add sugar, at about twice the volume of the oil you added. If you let it sit for about a minute more, the heat inside of the wok will caramelize the sugar. After that, you open the lid and add salt.

My kids love this! If I make too much in the afternoon, they will fill up on it and not eat dinner!!

Next I'm going to try a healthier alternative with olive oil, but I'm not sure how it will taste. I also have an olive oil based margarine that I want to try.