Spicy Caramel Popcorn

I wanted a singular, stellar snack, and this irresistible spicy sweet popcorn fits the bill. I use a good smoky bacon and cut it into small pieces to distribute through the popped corn. Adding a little bacon fat is decadent and delicious, as is topping the caramel with bourbon. You can make this popcorn with neither the bacon nor the bourbon, but do add back the smoky flavor with smoked paprika or Mushroom Bacon.

I love gochujang (or the ground spice gochugaru) as the central character in Korean fried chicken and bo ssam. But lately I've been sneaking it into more foods. Where I might have reached for crushed red pepper before, now I am more likely to choose gochujang for its sweet, acidic, complex heat. It's unlike anything else, and once it's in your refrigerator, don't be shy. Try it in pasta sauces and grain bowls. Stir it in with abandon. That's what I do with the caramel for this popcorn snack.

First, make sure you don't under- or overcook (burn) the caramel. It can be fussy, and a thermometer will help. Don't walk away; instead, hover and stir. When it's dark and smells buttery and toasty, it's done. Pour it over the popcorn, bacon and peanuts. Don't look for all the popcorn to be coated like Cracker Jack. Some won't look coated at all, but that will get sorted in the oven. The trick with caramel and popcorn is to use just enough to coat but not so much so that it gets soggy.

Popcorn can go high or low. I've been offered truffle popcorn at the Inn at Little Washington, served in small striped bags. And had the best and the worst popcorn at the movie theater, depending on when it was made. Ever tried sprinkling popped corn with nutritional yeast or cinnamon sugar? However it's spiced, it lends itself to clever individual-portion packaging for your cocktail hour. Sure, put it in bowls, but how about small brown paper lunch bags that your kids have decorated? Maybe you have gift bags or tins left over from your holiday cookie swap. It looks as tantalizing and delicious in wide-mouth Mason jars as in red Solo cups with each guest's name written on the side.

SPICY CARAMEL POPCORN

Every mouthful explodes with the sweetness of bourbon-laced caramel, the heat of gochujang, the salty smoke of crisp bacon and the snap of freshly popped corn.

Notes: The caramel coating here will be more sparse than the commercially available caramel popcorn versions. Some won't look coated at all, but that will get sorted in the oven.

Gochujang, a spicy Korean chile paste with fruity overtones, can be found in the international aisle of many grocery stores, at Asian markets or online.

Ingredients

6 slices (3 ounces/85 grams) thick-cut smoked bacon

1/3 cup (about 2 2/3 ounces/78 milliliters) vegetable, canola or another neutral oil

1 cup (8 ounces/226 grams) popcorn kernels

2 cups (8 ounces/226 grams) roasted, salted peanuts

12 tablespoons (6 ounces/170 grams) unsalted butter

1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 milliliters) bourbon (optional)

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon gochujang paste or gochugaru chili powder (or piment d'Espelette, Aleppo pepper or cayenne pepper), to taste

Steps

Have your largest bowl (at least 8 quarts) available. Position a rack in the middle of the oven if two large, rimmed baking sheets can fit side by side. If not, place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the bacon in a single layer. Cook the bacon 10 to 12 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees. Once the bacon is cool, chop into small pieces and set aside; reserve the rendered bacon fat on the baking sheet.

In a 5-quart pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and 3 popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and when the kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and wait exactly 30 seconds.

Place the pot back on the heat, cover, and agitate the pan, shaking and shaking until the corn stops popping. Pour the popcorn into the bowl, then add the peanuts, bacon and about 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat. Stir to combine.

Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a 3-quart saucepan with tall sides over medium heat, cook the butter, sugar and salt until boiling, increasing the heat slowly to medium-high or high, stirring continually and adjusting the heat so the caramel does not burn. It should take 10 to 12 minutes for the caramel to become dark amber. If you have a candy thermometer, the caramel should reach 265 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. The caramel will bubble up; stir it down, add the bourbon, if using, and chile paste, and stir until smooth.

Place a slightly damp folded towel under the bowl to keep it from wiggling around. Holding the pan a little above the bowl of popcorn, peanuts and bacon, very slowly pour the caramel over the popcorn, pausing to stir as you pour. Use two long-handled wooden or silicone spoons to coat everything in caramel.

Divide the popcorn between the lined baking sheets and spread out the mixture without crowding. Do not use on a single pan. Transfer the sheets to the oven and bake for about 1 hour, until the caramel is no longer sticky. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, then break up any especially large chunks before serving.

Recipe from food writer Cathy Barrow.

Feature Image: Tom McCorkle; food styling: Lisa Cherkasky

This article was originally published on The Washington Post