Something we really enjoy about spending more time at home is creating new and unique recipes by combining common pantry items! Chef Bex has shared this simple recipe for you to try at home and share with the family. Ever paired popcorn with chicken salad? It pairs perfectly with the 2018 Dundee Hills Chardonnay!
STOVETOP POPCORN INGREDIENTS
½ cup Popcorn kernels
3 tbsp coconut oil
Salt
Butter or garlic optional but encouraged
1. Add oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat on medium high.
2. After about 30 seconds put 3 kernels in the center of the pot, cover with the lid (or a random baking sheet like Chef Bex did) and wait to hear them pop.
3. Remove the three with a slotted spoon to test. Then add your 1/2 cup of kernels.
4. Toss them around in the oil – they will look shiny – shake them out into an even layer.
5. Count 20 seconds before putting the pot back on the stove. This will temper the popcorn and will help it cook quickly and uniformly. Put the pot back on the stove with the lid on.
6. When the popping sounds intense, pick up the pot from the heat and give it a shake. Move the kernels around and occasional vent the pot of steam – hopefully raining popcorn down onto friends, family and winemakers.
7. While the popcorn is hot, make sure you salt it, and add any other ingredients that feel right!
8. We paired our popcorn with the Stoller 2018 Dundee Hill Chardonnay. Fermented entirely in stainless steel, this wine has lots of acidity and freshness that makes it a perfect for the salt and buttery popcorn. You can’t go wrong with this pairing!
CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS
Leftover roasted chicken – shredded
Chef Bex aioli –
5 egg yolks
2 cups blended non GMO organic canola/olive oil, 75/25 blend
5 cloves raw garlic – chopped finely
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Herbs – to taste
- Chef Bex prefers
-
- Cilantro
- Tarragon
- Chervil
- Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Whisk your 5 yolks, garlic mash, zest and juice, mustard and salt. You can also blend in a food processor.
2. Drizzle a little bit of the oil straight into the center of the whisking vortex that is created.
3. Continue to whisk and drizzle, whisk and drizzle. The emulsification will start to come together. Keep adding oil until it’s either gone, or the yolks stop accepting it.
4. Taste. Add more salt if needed, then add your herbs, pepper, and shredded chicken.
** if it looks greasy – add a couple of teaspoons of ice water or plain white vinegar and give it another whisk. It should fix it right up for you.
** if it looks too thin, add more oil and whisk.
Aioli literally means garlic and oil – most modern American chefs call any compound mayo an aioli now a days. So, here’s aioli a second way:
The “No One Will Ever Know” Way INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Sir Kensington or a good heavy mayo
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
5 cloves of garlic mashed into a paste
1/4 tsp of Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Herbs to taste
1. Mash the garlic into a paste and put into a mixing bowl with the lemon zest, juice, and salt. Let this rest for a few minutes.
2. Add the mayo, Dijon mustard, pepper, and herbs and stir together thoroughly.
3. Taste the Aioli to make sure it is to your liking and adjust if needed!