The Chef
Thomas Keller of Per Se

Servings
8 people

Ingredients
1 cup popcorn
1 cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salted butter

Cooking Instructions
Pop the popcorn. 

To make the caramel, place the sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan (large enough to hold the popcorn) and cook until the caramel turns a light golden brown. Add baking soda and butter to the caramel. Then add the popcorn to the hot caramel and stir with a wooden spoon until the popcorn is evenly coated.

Pour the caramelized popcorn onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and set aside to cool. Break up the popcorn with your hands. Serve in colored-cellophane bags.

Best With
Suggested Menu: sunchoke soup with virginia-ham croquettes; virginia-ham croquettes; breast of four corners farm's turkey "cuit sous vide" and roasted leg "en ballotine"; giblet gravy; green-bean casserole: Oven-baked haricots verts with cream of california cepe mushroom and crispy shallots; garnet sweet-potato mille-feuille with white-truffle royale and shaved truffles from alba; Waldorf-salad stuffing; pecan pie with whipped cream; caramel popcorn.