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Bündok’s Bacon Fat Popcorn with Apple Salt

We weren’t surprised when chef Ryan Hotchkiss’ downtown Edmonton eatery Bündok was recently named one of Canada’s top ten new restaurants by enRoute; we are still smacking our lips at the memory of the incredible five-course Swine & Dine chef Hotchkiss and his culinary team shared back in April.

We were delighted to see chef Hotchkiss at this year’s Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge where he shared tips and tricks from Bündok’s kitchen, including ways his culinary team do their best to reduce food waste – including dehydrating shaved apple peel and saving rendered bacon fat. We can assure you, thanks to chef Hotchkiss’ Bacon Fat Popcorn with Apple Salt, recycling never tasted so good. This recipe yields four cups of popped corn:

3 apples worth of apple peel
3 Tbsp sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp bacon fat
1 cup popcorn seeds

FOR APPLE SALT: Place all apple peels on a sheet pan lined with parchment and dehydrate at 175F until dry, approx. 4-6 hours. Combine with salt and sugar. FOR POPCORN: Warm bacon fat in pot until just about smoking. Add popcorn and continue to shake the pan while keeping the lid on. Cook until all popcorn has been popped. Top with Apple Salt.