For the Caramel

• 3 tbsp darkest muscovado sugar; the oily, resinous-looking stuff, ideally.
• 1 or 2 tbsp whisky (I used Jameson)
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp best butter, salted (crystals) if possible

Add to a tiny saucepan; bring to boil stirring with a wooden spoon, and reduce. Scale recipe up if needed. Start this well-before you start popping corn, because you want the sauce ready for decanting for assembly.

Popcorn (yes, really)

• Get a large saucepan with lid. Have oven gloves handy.
• Measure just enough popcorn to cover the pan bottom to a depth of 1 kernel leaving about a (1cm?) gap around the edge; this seems about the sweet spot. Pour the kernels into a bowl and set aside.
• Thin layer of Peanut oil in the pan, bring to a shimmering heat. No salt, no adulterants.
• Add the kernels straight into the oil. The goal is to shock them with sudden oily heat.
• Cover with lid, shaking vigorously every so often (gloves) to sink the uncooked kernels to the bottom.
• Wait until the popping stops.

Assembly

• Get a huge bowl
• Build the bowl in layers, aim for adding 3 or 4 layers of popped corn into the bowl
• Lay down a layer of popped corn
• Drizzle with caramel
• Lay down a layer of popped corn
• Drizzle with caramel
• Lay down a layer of popped corn
• Drizzle with caramel
• …etc, until the bowl is full.
• Stir with a spoon (THIS IS WHY YOU WANT A HUGE BOWL) to mix-in.
• Eat. Having damp handtowels available for cleanup, is a good idea.