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Kale-Dusted Pecorino Popcorn

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Photo by Deb Perelman

Given that it's green and has the word "kale" in the title, this popcorn has proved to be shockingly popular among the preschooler set (to whom I'd bring it for class snacks when it was our turn) as well as adults.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

Kale Dust:

A bundle of Lacinato kale (aka dinosaur or Tuscan) (usually 9 to 10 ounces or 255 to 285 grams; see note)

1

tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

Sea salt

To finish:

4 to 5

tablespoons (60 to 75 ml) olive oil

1

/3 cup (70 grams) popcorn kernels

2

/3 cup (95 grams) finely grated Pecorino Romano

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Make the kale dust:

    Step 1

    Heat the oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale; no worries if you don’t get every last droplet of water off. Remove and discard the tough stems.

    Step 2

    Lightly brush two large baking sheets with olive oil—the thinnest coat is just fine. Arrange the leaves in one layer on the prepared baking sheet(s), sprinkle lightly with salt, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the leaves are crisp. Let cool completely. In a food processor, with a mortar and pestle, or even with a muddler in a bowl, grind the kale chips down into a coarse powder.

  2. Make the popcorn:

    Step 3

    Place 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 or 3 kernels of popcorn in a 3-quart or larger pot. Turn the heat to medium-high, and cover with a lid. When you hear these first kernels pop, add the remaining kernels and replace the lid. Using pot holders, shimmy the pot around to keep the kernels moving as they pop. When several seconds pass between pops, remove from the heat.

  3. To assemble:

    Step 4

    Transfer to a bowl, and immediately toss with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, kale dust, Pecorino, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed.

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Excerpted from Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites Copyright © 2017 by Deb Perelman. Published with permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the full book from Amazon.