Stovetop Popcorn | Homemade with Butter and Spices

Add the sunflower oil to a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid and heat over medium heat. Add three popcorn kernels and cover. When all three pop, the oil is at the right temperature. Kernels added before the oil is hot enough will absorb the oil, turn soft, and fail to pop.

As soon as the test kernels pop, take the pot off the heat, add the remaining kernels, and spread them in a single layer. Cover, return the pot to the heat, and once the popping becomes frequent, hold the handle and shake the pot horizontally every 20 seconds; shaking brings unpopped kernels to the bottom and keeps popped ones from burning. When the pops slow to one every 2 seconds, remove the pot from the heat and keep the lid on for another 30 seconds.

Melt the butter in a small pan or microwave over low power; stop when the foaming ends but before the butter darkens. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Drizzle the melted butter in a thin stream while turning the bowl, rather than pouring it in one spot. Sprinkle with salt and paprika, then toss from the bottom with two spoons. Pouring the butter in one place will leave some popcorn soggy and the rest dry.

Shake the bowl gently and wait for 1 minute; hard unpopped and partially popped kernels will sink to the bottom. Transfer the popcorn from the top of the bowl to a serving dish, then remove and discard the hard kernels below. This step is essential when serving young children: a hard kernel can break a tooth or cause choking. Never serve popcorn to children under four years old; serve it to older children only while they are seated and supervised.