One of our favorite Chicago-area brewpubs has been open less than 2 years but is already leaps and bounds above most of the others. Revolution Brewing. Not only are their beers delicious but they have a unique menu full of fantastic pub fare. One menu item sticks out above the rest. Ask anyone who has been there. Their Bacon Fat Popcorn is the thing dreams are made of. Bacon, crispy sage, & parmesan, don't you want some right now?
We had a few slices of bacon left over from breakfast recently so I decided to try to make my own. And it turned out awesome. Revolution's is better but I'm sure they are much more generous with the bacon fat than I was willing to be in my own kitchen. So here is an ever-so-slightly healthier version of Revolution Brewing Company's Bacon Fat Popcorn.
As I said, we had a few slices of bacon left over from breakfast. I chopped it up and set it aside. I also strained the bacon fat left in the pan through cheese cloth and saved it in a jar in the fridge.
You're going to need: popcorn, bacon, bacon fat, fresh sage, salt, parmesan cheese.
Stack up about 15 sage leaves and run your knife through them to create small strips (a chiffonade).
Take your leftover crumbled bacon and throw it in the toaster oven at 350 on a foil lined sheet until it's nice and crispy again.
Add a tablespoon of bacon fat to the bottom of a heated heavy bottom pan. drop the sage leaves in and fry them for a minute or so until they are crispy. Set aside. Please disregard my heavily stained dutch oven. It's in need of a little softscrub therapy session.
Yum, crispy sage!
Now, add a few more tablespoons of bacon fat to the pan along with 3 kernels of corn, put the lid on, and heat on medium heat until you hear at least one of the kernels pop. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1/3 cup of kernels, return the lid, shake well to coat the kernels in the bacon fat, then return to heat. Heat until pops are more than 1 second apart.
Transfer popcorn to a bowl, add the crispy sage, bacon, and parmesan. Go ahead and be naughty - melt another tablespoon of bacon fat (or butter), and toss that on as well. Salt to taste.
Enjoy with a fresh, hoppy IPA!
Mmm... bacon fat popcorn!
Ingredients
4-5 Tbsp. Bacon Fat (divided)
3-4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
15 sage leaves
1/3 Cup popcorn kernels
2 oz Parmesan Cheese
Salt (to taste)
Butter (optional)
Instructions
- Chiffonade sage. Re-heat bacon in 350 degree toaster oven until crisp.
- Add 1 Tbsp. bacon fat to a heavy bottom lidded pan. Add sage and fry until crisp, 1-2 minutes. Set sage aside.
- Add 2-3 more Tbsp. bacon fat to pan along with 3 kernels of popcorn. Put the lid on, heat on medium heat until you hear at least one of the kernels pop. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1/3 cup of kernels, return the lid, shake well to coat the kernels in the bacon fat, then return to heat. Keep on heat until more than 1 second passes between pops.
- Transfer popcorn to a bowl, add sage, bacon, parmesan, and salt to taste.
- Optionally add another tablespoon or two of melted bacon fat or butter.
