A pantry scan turned up a half-eaten bag of raw pistachios, a set of red, green, and orange colored honey sticks, and a few cans of sustainably-caught-along-the-California-coast wild sardines. Ho hum.
Then I saw the popcorn. And I could only think of Truffle Popcorn. Michael Mina's Truffle Popcorn.
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| Truffle Popcorn Parts |
For those of you who have eaten truffle popcorn, you probably have truffle oil in your kitchen, because once you've tasted truffle popcorn, you must make and eat it often. I first had truffle popcorn at Michael Mina, a stellar restaurant on the first floor of the Westin St. Francis Hotel, which sits astride the city's Union Square. The popcorn was served in a raised bowl, which sat in something like an iron ring supported by iron legs. The pulpy, pink pomegranate martini that was served with it was equally divine. Since then, there has been no match.
I'm not exactly sure how Michael's people make his truffle popcorn. I've tried to replicate it a few times, and have developed a recipe that is light and truffle-y with a pinch of salt and a complement of fresh parsley. I know it's good, because I ate the entire bowl before I remembered I was going to photograph it. That's why there's only one photo here, of the ingredients.
Lately, I've been using a bag of Amish Country Rainbow Popcorn, which I bought from a Mennonite clerk in Rawlins, Wyoming last September (warning: don't be like my parents and think rainbow popcorn pops into colored popcorn). I wouldn't be surprised if Michael Mina uses butter in his recipe, but I like to keep mine simple.
This is my recipe, for one person:
2 to 3 cups popped corn (I prefer an air popper for a clean, light pop)
2 to 3 teaspoons truffle oil
Generous tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley (do not attempt this recipe with dried parsley. Ew.)
Truffle salt
Drizzle a teaspoon of truffle oil around the bottom of the bowl. Drop half of your popped corn into the bowl. Add another drizzle of truffle oil, half of the parsley, and a pinch of truffle salt. Drop the rest of your popped corn into the bowl, and finish with the remaining oil, parsley, and another pinch of salt. Stir it up. Carry your bowl to your favorite sitting spot, and eat.
If you happen to have a pomegranate martini on hand, you might want to bring that too.
