Duck Fat Popcorn

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Duck fat popcorn is my new favorite snack.  Any kind of stovetop popcorn is delicious and easy to make, but using duck fat to make the popcorn adds an incredible, almost magical depth of flavor.  A certain something.  You won't know why this popcorn is so amazing, but duck fat popcorn will be your new favorite, too.

Duck fat popcorn in a white paper cone on a white marble background.

The theme for the Taste Creations blog hop this month is popcorn!  What a perfect theme for September, isn't it?  

I haven't made stovetop popcorn since I was a kid, instead relying on my favorite microwave popcorn bowl.  But we moved to the UK this summer, and I don't have any of my household goods with me here yet, so I decided to go old school and make stovetop popcorn.  But not just any stovetop popcorn:  duck fat popcorn.

Duck fat popcorn in a white paper cone being held in a woman's hands.

What does Duck Fat Popcorn Taste Like?

To me, it tastes like what movie theater popcorn aspires to be.  The flavor is rich, subtle, and utterly addictive.  But you'd never guess that the popcorn was made with duck fat.  It doesn't taste like duck or any kind of animal product at all--just a certain, ineffable popcorn-ness.  It makes popcorn taste more like popcorn.  Any fat is a flavor carrier, and with its high smoke point, duck fat is especially good for high heat cooking, like frying or popping popcorn.  

Ingredients for duck fat popcorn on a marble surface.

Duck Fat Popcorn Ingredients:

duck fat and three popcorn kernels in a covered pan.

How to Make Stovetop Popcorn:

Put two tablespoons of duck fat in a lidded pot or pan.  I like using my big, lidded sauté pan, but you could certainly use a deeper lidded pot as well.  Whatever shape of pot you use, make sure it has a lid, or popcorn will be all over your kitchen.  

Put three our four test popcorn kernels in the pan with the duck fat.  Cover with lid and turn the heat on high.

When all of the test kernels have popped, the duck fat is hot enough and ready to make popcorn.  Pour the half cup of popcorn kernels in pan, shake to coat all of the kernels in the melted duck fat, and place the lid back on the pan.

Duck fat popcorn being popped on the stovetop in a large covered sautee pan.

The popcorn will start popping within seconds.  Gently shake the pan to keep the popcorn kernels moving and avoid any popcorn burning.  When sound of popcorn kernels popping slows down to one every couple seconds, remove from heat and pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

Duck fat popcorn in a large bowl, next to a copper salt cellar.

Sprinkle the hot popcorn with popcorn salt.  Any type of salt would do, of course, but popcorn salt is extra fine, and sticks very nicely and evenly to the hot popcorn.  It's also fabulous for roasted vegetables, so I always like to have popcorn salt on hand.

It's important to work quickly when salting popcorn, because the salt sticks to hot popcorn FAR better than it sticks to room temperature popcorn.

Now the only real question is what movie to watch to go along with your fabulous duck fat popcorn?

More Amazing Popcorn Recipes:

Check out the other irresistable popcorn recipes from my fellow blogger friends in the Taste Creations Blog Hop this month:

Mom Home Guide: Easy Kettle Corn

autumn popcorn snack mix

Our Good Life: Savory Autumn Popcorn Mix

More Delicious Duck Fat Recipes:

How to Render Duck Fat by Curious Cuisiniere

Duck Fat Fries by The Heritage Cook

Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes and Wild Mushrooms by Gastro Senses

Other Popcorn Recipes You Might Like:

Navigational image leading reader to maple bacon popcorn recipe.

 
Nicole Wills, creator of Tikkido

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