Caramel Popcorn with Pecans - 1/2 Cup of Popping Corn Goes a Long Way

Have you ever wonder how in the world that only 1/2 or even 1/3 cup of popping corn can end up a bucket-full of popcorn that can last the entire movie night? I was amazed to be honest. In fact, I was doubting if merely 1/2 cup of popping corn would be enough at all? 

It's been proven. Seeing popping corn started to expand in the pan then all the sudden popped into popcorn that was at least three times the size, the whole process was quite amusing. So rest assured that this recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of popping corn, it'll end up about one medium large bucket-full of popcorn for you to enjoy in the end.

*I followed the recipe provided by Dixie Elliott from taste.com.au. A wonderful recipe that made my movie time sweet and enjoyable. 

Caramel popcorn with pecans - 

Ingredients (makes about one medium large bucket-full of popcorn)?

• 1/2 cup popping corn
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 125 grams unsalted butter 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup pecan

How? 

Use a big pot, pan, or even a wok to pop the popping corn. Make sure you have the lid that fit the chosen cookware. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and turn to medium heat.

Wait till the oil gets warm. You can test it out by tossing in one popping corn and see if the oil starts to bubble around it. In that case, the temperature is good to go.

Add in all the popping corn and cover with a lid. Gradually you'll start to hear popping noises, which might be a wee bit frightening at first, but soon you'll see the fun of it.

Swirl the cookware around once a while. This will further help in popping the corn. Keep waiting till all quite down. Remove the lid.

pick out the remaining popping corn that didn't get to pop successfully. 

Transfer the popcorn to a big mixing bowl, I used the one attached to my stand mixer. 

Use a nonstick sauce pan for the caramel. Break the butter to smaller chunks and add to the pan. Also add in 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of honey. 

Turn to medium small heat and keep whisking throughout the process. Whisk till all the sugar has been dissolved, about 4 minutes, plus or minus 1 minute.

Bring the mixture to a boil and no more whisking here. Let it boil undisturbed for another 4 minutes, plus or minus 1 minute, or till it changes to brown color.

Remove the caramel away from heat and add in pecans first. 

Mix till coated then pour the whole thing to the popcorn bowl. Do not use your hands, the caramel can be very hot at this stage. It might also require some strength to mix the caramel with popcorn. In fact, I had to "break" the popcorn from a sticky ball to smaller pieces. One good tip, plastic spatula comes in handy here.

Once ready, spread out the popcorn and pecans to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wait till cool enough to handle by hand. 

Break the popcorn to smaller pieces. 

You can store extra popcorn under room temperature for few days, but I'm sure it won't even last that long. It's hard to stop once you take a bite.

Keep in mind that caramel hardens pretty fast once away from the stove, so move quickly blending in the pecans and popcorn.

Salmon and Shiso Zosui - A Refreshing Minty and Citrusy Touch from Fresh Shiso Leaves

Zosui, some might also call it congee or porridge. The basic idea is the same, they're all sort of soupy rice dish that can either stand on its own or serve together with other side dishes. While some variations start with uncooked rice, zosui on the other hand, is made with pre-cooked rice or even leftover rice.

The liquid part is taken care of by using half chicken stock and half water. On top of that, with the help from steamed salmon juice and aromatic shiso leaves, this salmon and shiso zosui is one kick-ass recipe that my entire family adores.

Salmon and shiso zosui - 

Ingredients (about 7 to 8 portions)?

• 2 boneless skinless salmon fillet
• 3 rice measuring cups short grain white rice
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups water
• 20 shiso leaf
• 1 pack/120 grams white shimeji mushroom
• 1 pack/120 grams brown shimeji mushroom
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder 

How?

Pre-cook 3 rice measuring cups of rice. Once ready, fluff and set aside for later use. You can also use leftover rice instead. However, this recipe will give you a big pot of zosui in the end, and I would imagine it's unlikely to have that much leftover rice in any regular circumstances. In that case, use half or even 1/3 of the ingredients listed for smaller yield.

Steam the salmon till fully cooked through. Set aside till cool enough to handle by hand. Break the salmon into smaller pieces and save all the juice on the bottom. I ended up having 2 full cups of prepped salmon.

Trim-off the stems for the mushrooms and separate them into individual pieces. Julienne shiso leaves. Beat the eggs and set aside for later use.

Use a big pot and pour in 6 cups of chicken stock and 6 cups of water. You can play with the chicken stock to water ratio, but I prefer half and half to keep it flavorful enough while not overpowering other delicate ingredients. 

Bring the liquid to a boil and add in the mushroom, cook for about 1 minute.

Add in pre-cooked rice and bring it up to a boil again. Once boiling, lower the heat to keep it at a light bubbling stage. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. 

Note that the consistency might appear too water at first, but keep in mind that it'll soon thicken up.

Mix in the salmon flakes along with all the steamed juice. Also add in 1 tablespoon of salt. Mix a little, taste and see if more salt is needed. Adjust accordingly.

Mix in most of the shiso leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper powder. Switch to low heat and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Turn-off the heat and pour in beaten egg. Make sure the zosui is not too hot, but not completely cooled down either when adding the egg. We need the residual warmth to just slightly cooking the egg. Stir the zosui to evenly spread out yellow streak.

Scoop to serving bowls and garnish with the remaining shiso that we saved earlier.

If you prefer a thinner consistency, use two more cups of liquid, that means a total of 14 cups of liquid in the end.

The zosui will thicken up as time passes by but no worries. If you have any leftover zosui, simply add some more liquid before heating it up again. Hot water will do, but even better with chicken stock because it won't dilute the flavor as much. 

  

Extended reading:

• Sweet potato congee 地瓜粥
• Savory Taiwanese congee 台式鹹粥