Caramel Corn with Smoked Almonds and Fleur de Sel Recipe | Epicurious - 万博官网,万博亚洲正规品牌,manbetx苹果下载

Chef Graham Elliot, of restaurantsGraham ElliotandGrahamwichin Chicago, shared this recipe as part of aTree-Trimming Party Menuhe created exclusively for Epicurious. Inspired by the spiced snacks served at German Christmas markets, this popcorn combines the sweetness of caramel with savory, salty nuts. The caramel sets quickly, so have all your ingredients and tools ready to go, and try to work as quickly as possible. If you're strapped for time, you can use microwave popcorn or even store-bought.

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 servings (about 10 cups)

Nonstick vegetable-oil spray

1 cup popcorn kernels

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups (about 8 ounces) smoked or regular Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped*

1 1/2 tablespoons fleur de sel

*Marcona almonds are tender Spanish nuts that are usually roasted and salted. They're available at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

Special Equipment

1 large baking sheet; parchment paper or aluminum foil

Step 1
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease generously with nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Generously spray a large bowl and all but the handle part of a large spoon or rubber spatula.
Step 2
In a large deep pot with a lid, combine the popcorn kernels, oil, and salt and stir to coat the kernels in oil. Place the pot over moderately high heat, cover with a lid, and cook, shaking the pot frequently to redistribute the kernels, until all the kernels have popped, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the popped popcorn to the large prepared bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. DO AHEAD:The popcorn can be popped in advance and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.
Step 3
In a large deep pot over moderately high heat, combine the corn syrup, sugar, and 1/4 cup water and stir to combine. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture develops a light amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the baking soda and butter, and stir continuously to melt the butter and combine the ingredients, about 20 seconds. (The mixture will be very hot and will foam up at this point—continuous stirring will help the foaming subside.) Working quickly, pour the caramel over the popcorn and add the almonds, then use the prepared spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together, trying to evenly coat the popcorn and nuts in caramel. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spreading out the caramel corn as much as possible. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool and harden for about 20 minutes. Break the caramel corn into smaller, bite-size pieces and serve. DO AHEAD:Caramel corn can be prepared in advance and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.

Editor's note:

When making the caramel, once the sugar begins to caramelize you can swirl the pan to evenly distribute the color, but avoid stirring, which will cause the sugar to crystallize and harden.

Sign InorSubscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Caramel Corn with Smoked Almonds and Fleur de Sel?

Leave a Review

Reviews (4)

The first time I made this recipe, it was such a huge hit that everyone asked me to make a second batch the next day for the Superbowl. This time I decided to follow the recipe a little closer, rather than following my intuition, and did not have such successful results (of course, the friends that hadn't tried the first batch still loved it). I cooked the candy for exactly ten minutes, resulting in a light amber color and a somewhat tacky texture (soft crack), whereas last time I cooked it for 12 minutes to a hard crack stage, resulting in a deep caramel color and perfect crunch. Also, I used a generic brand of popcorn from the grocery store, and was not pleased with the size and texture of the kernels, and additionally had a higher rate of uncooked or burnt pieces. Before, I used a white popcorn (bulk at Whole Foods) with beautiful results, and next time I plan to try the "mushroom" popcorn variety, which is probably ideal. (I apologize for the double review, but can't figure out how to edit my past one...)
- NapaCruiseDir
- Napa Valley
- 2/7/2012
I had a delicious salted caramel corn recently from a restaurant, and was dying to find a similar recipe! This worked beautifully! I love that the kernels were individual, and crisp. It was a huge hit at my place! I was glad to have read the other reviews ahead of time. I put a little Pam in the mixing bowl, on the wooden spoon, & my hands and had no trouble at all. I also used a Silpat on the tray, which worked beautifully. In the recipe it says to cook the liquid until it reaches a light golden color. I cooked it for almost 12 minutes, and the color was barely beige. But, as soon as I added the butter and soda, it instantly turned to a deep golden brown, and I was glad I took it off when I did! (I was also at a higher altitude, which may account for the longer time; if you're cooking it at the correct temperature, pay closer attention to the time rather than a deepening color) Work fast for the best results! I broke the clusters up into smaller pieces in the bowl with my wooden spoon then used my hands to to break the smaller clusters into individual pieces to set on the Silpat. Also, be sure to put the salt on as soon as possible, because if it starts to cool, it won't properly cool. (I had someone sprinkle it on as I worked with it...) This recipe might be difficult if you're not familiar with making caramels, but if you follow these steps, it should make it easier! Also, as with any cooked sugars, just let the pan an tools sit in hot water for a few minutes and the water will do all the work, completely melting the sugar.
- NapaCruiseDir
- Napa Valley
- 2/5/2012
Agreed - this is very messy. It helps to soak everything in hot soapy water for an hour! Also, I forgot to take out the unpopped kernels and thus have to constantly pick them out of the clusters as I eat... not convenient! I used regular smoked almonds and regular sea salt - they added a slight flavor but did not make it overly salty or anything
- BakinMeg
- Cincinnati, OH
- 12/12/2011
This was very good, but there are 2 things to keep in mind: 1. cleanup is a BEAR. I oiled things liberally and everything, but the corn still stuck tenaciously. 2. I used regular store-bought smoked almonds (couldn't find marcona) and I think they made the whole thing too salty. I think with Marcona almonds this would be better. If you do use the storebought smoked almonds, taste before you sprinkle the corn with sea salt, or possibly don't salt the corn when you pop it. And I say this as a person who loves salt. However I would make this again.
- ninapetrov
- 11/30/2011