How to Make Movie Theater Butter Popcorn
Movie theaters lure guests to the snack bar before the film with the smell of popcorn butter, but if you have tried to replicate this flavor at home, you might be disappointed. Several reasons, such as using the wrong ingredients and equipment, are behind this, but these issues can be corrected. By using some methods and products implemented by the movie theaters, you can make a clone of their popcorn at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1 stick of butter (unsalted) (See tip)
- Small, microwaveable bowl
- Finely ground popcorn salt
- Large shaker with many small holes
- Hand-crank kettle popcorn popper or hot oil popper
- Coconut oil (See tip)
- Popcorn kernels (preferably from a jar rather than a bag)
- Baking pan or wide-mouth serving bowl
- Serving bowl or popcorn bucket
Instructions
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1
Place the butter into a microwave-safe bowl, and melt at high power for 1 to 3 minutes or until completely melted. Cover the melted butter and refrigerate it overnight. The butter will separate, with the fats solidifying at the top in a layer and the liquids sinking to the bottom. You will want the fats at the top for the purest butter flavor to add onto your popcorn.
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2
Gently lift off the top layer of solidified butter with a spoon. Place this into another bowl and melt again in the microwave. This will be poured over your popcorn.
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3
Place at least 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into the bottom of the hand-crank popcorn popper. Add 1 to 3 tbsp. of oil to cover the kernels. You can also use the melted, clarified butter to pop the popcorn kernels by mixing it in equal amounts with the coconut oil.
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4
Put the hand-crank popper onto a gas stove before turning the flame to medium heat. Preheat an electric range to medium high before putting the popper on the burner.
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5
Crank the handle on the stove top popper for about three minutes or until the popping sounds slow down or the handle becomes difficult to move.
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6
Use a hot oil popper according to manufacturer's directions if you do not have a hand-crank popper.
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7
Remove the popcorn from the popper and place on a large baking pan to maximize the exposure of the popcorn to the salt.
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8
Put the salt into the shaker, and give a few shakes of it over the popcorn.
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9
Move the salted popcorn to a serving bowl or popcorn bucket. Top with the melted, clarified butter from steps 1 and 2.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use unsalted butter to make the clarified butter. This will prevent your popcorn from tasting too salty when you add extra salt on top. Coconut oil can be found in most health food stores and in some larger supermarkets near the supplements.
