My husband and I recently went to a high-end restaurant and dropped a few hundred dollars on their tasting menu. The first course was Truffle Popcorn, served cold with truffle-flavored rice paper and homemade corn nuts. I was thrilled, as I enjoy popcorn and love truffles. We were sharing a bottle of bubbly, and I really would have been happy with bubbles and popcorn truffles for my entire meal.
My husband was less thrilled, as he considers popcorn “comfort food” that should be eaten at home at at the movie theaters.
The gourmet popcorn inspired me to start playing with flavored popcorn recipes. Since you probably don’t keep truffles in your pantry, I wanted to try flavors that you could make with things you already have at home. I experimented with both wet and dry ingredients, and just when my husband was suffering from popcorn fatigue, I came up with a clear winner—Parmesan Pepper Popcorn. Since the pepper flavor is so prominent, this was a no-brained for me to pair with wine. Big black pepper demands a big Zinfandel. St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel is one I keep on hand, as I love the jammy fruit as well as the price point (less than $20). One night dinner consisted of a big bowl of Parmesan Pepper Popcorn and half a bottle of Old Vine Zinfandel. (Ah, yes, that was a good night. No movie needed.)
If you don’t have an olive oil spritzer, they are inexpensive. You can buy one like this for under $15.
I have quite a few of them, from the pump-action can that is supposed to mimic non-stick spray to the glass spray bottle that can spray either a fine mist or a steady stream. My go-to The runner-up gourmet popcorn recipe was Buffalo Ranch Popcorn… a mixture of Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix with and Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce. I’m going to keep tweaking that recipe, so it will probably show up in a recipe blog very soon!
I haven’t served my Parmesan Pepper Popcorn recipe as a first-course at a dinner party yet, but it’s coming.
Parmesan Pepper Popcorn Recipe
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Black pepper, coarsely ground
Salt, to taste
Dried parsleyPop popcorn. When it’s still hot, spritz it with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss until well coated. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot or cold.
Wine Pairing with Parmesan Pepper Popcorn
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