RE: [CH] Popcorn Heat

Goslowsky, George (gjgoslow@ingr.com)
Thu, 19 Nov 1998 14:44:21 -0600 

Rob,

I have been doing this for years, but I know that the way that I do it is
certainly not the only or possibly the correct way.  But for what it's
worth, here is my take on it.

I start with a heavy, 4 quart pan with a tight fitting lid.  I set the
(electric) burner on high, pour in about 1/4 cup of chile oil and about 3-4
kernels of corn, cover and wait.  When the first kernel pops I pour in the
rest of the kernels, about 1/2 cup, and slosh them around in the oil to coat
them.  Recover the pan and let it sit until the popping picks up and becomes
fairly regular.  Shake occasionally to keep the kernels from sticking to the
bottom and to settle any kernels that get hung up in the popped corn back to
the bottom.  When the pops taper off to about one or two per second, I tilt
the lid (away from me) to vent the steam and then pour the popcorn into
large bowls or a paper grocery bag.  Dust liberally with Goya's adobo powder
and enjoy.

The batch of chile oil that I have right now was made from lightly smoked
and dried habaneros.  It has a respectable burn, even for a ChileHead, so I
have felt no need to increase the heat with any other additive.  When I mix
this batch of chile oil with butter, garlic and oregano, then toss it with
pasta, the flavor of the chiles comes out even better.

Making the oil is dirt simple.  I use at least a quart of canola oil and
about a double hand full of either De Arbol/cayenne or habaneros.  Put
everything into a crockpot and set on high for about 1 hour.  Turn down to
low until you go to bed, then turn it off.  In the morning I turn it to low
again until I turn it off at night.  I do this for about 3 days.  This may
be way too long and you may get the maximum effect of the soaking much
sooner, but it has always worked well this way, so I have not been inclined
to change it.  Let the oil cool to room temp and then strain it through a
very tight sieve or, better yet, through several layers of cheese cloth.
Store in a stoppered bottle and it will keep indefinitely.  I use it in
nearly all my every day cooking.

I hope this helps a little.  It is probably more than you wanted to know
though.  BTW, even though I have read that olive oil is supposed to retain
the flavor and heat of the chiles better than any other oil, I don't use it
because it has such a low flash point.  I don't feel comfortable frying with
it and out on the grill it flares up something terrible.

Anyway, enjoy.

George J. Goslowsky
Senior Software Analyst
Intergraph, Corp (256) 730-8223

Run from light to shadow, Sun gives me no rest,
Promise offered in the east, Broken in the west.


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Pieters, Rob (NL01)
[SMTP:Rob.Pieters@Netherlands.honeywell.com]
	Sent:	Wednesday, November 18, 1998 9:56 AM
	To:	Chile-Heads Digest; king801@greenhills.net
	Subject:	RE: [CH] Popcorn Heat

	How do you make these Hotpoppers? just pop the corn in the oil?
	Or do you put the oil on the popcorn?
	Like to know that, sound very interesting!

	Hot regards
	Rob

	> ----------
	> From: 	king801@greenhills.net[SMTP:king801@greenhills.net]
	> Sent: 	maandag 16 november 1998 23:38
	> To: 	Chile-Heads Digest
	> Subject: 	[CH] Popcorn Heat
	> 
	> 
	>     I've been lurking around for a while and thought I'd step out
of the
	> shadows to share one of our dark family secrets:
	> 
	> We love hot peppers on popcorn!
	> 
	> I take a bottle of olive oil and stuff it full of split peppers of
choice
	> and a crushed garlic clove.  Let it age a while. Gad, this stuff's
good.
	> I
	> buy so much popcorn from the Boy Scout troops now they deliver it
to me in
	> cases.
	> 
	> And olive oil's supposed to be good for you, too.  Perhaps I
should bottle
	> it and market it to health food stores?
	> 
	> JR
	> king801@greenhills.net
	> 
	>