If by some chance you haven't seen Shaun of the Dead, go ahead and watch it...I'll wait.
Okay, I'm kidding. Sort of. You really should go watch it, but until then, I'll give you a quick rundown. Shaun and Ed are best mates in their 20's who haven't really made that transition to responsible adult yet. Much to Shaun's girlfriend Liz's chagrin, Shaun would rather sleep late, play video games, get his meals one-by-one at a convenience store, and hang out at The Winchester (a pub), than start adulting. Liz calls things off with Shaun after he lets her down one time too many.
- Take the car.
- Go to mum's.
- Kill Phillip (sorry!).
- Grab Liz.
- Go to The Winchester.
- Have a nice cold pint.
- Wait for this all to blow over.
As far as food inspiration goes, there's actually quite a bit both seen and mentioned throughout, but I think Shaun of the Dead deserves a solid pub menu to do it justice. I actually plan on putting a menu together and posting a new recipe from it until it's complete (though that may take some time).
Aside from normal pub munchies like pork rinds (aka pork lumps or pig snacks), crisps, and corn nuts (more about these in a minute), I'll include toasties (toasted sandwiches), homemade giant pickles like the kind you see in a huge jar on/behind bars (because Shaun's mum calls him "Pickle"), fried cheese slices (from the quote "How's that for a slice of fried gold?"), and of course, Cornettos (probably more recognizable as Drumsticks to us Americans) and red pie ("you've got red on you") in case of a sweet tooth.
The Winchester Menu
Toasties
Choose from 6 varieties: The Shaun, The Ed, The Liz, The Barbara, The Dianne, or The David
Slice of Fried Gold
fried cheese slice
Giant Garlic Pickles
Homemade Corn Nuts
Giant corn kernels spiced with ranch seasoning and smoky paprika, then roasted until crunchy.
Homemade Pork Lumps
aka pork rinds
Homemade Cornettos
Ice cream cone topped in with fudge and roasted peanuts
"You've Got Red on You" Pie
Cherries, strawberries, and raspberries abound in this pie jam-packed with red
So, I'll kick things off today with the homemade corn nuts. Funny story - corn nuts are never actually mentioned or seen in Shaun of the Dead. But I thought they were up until a few days ago. You see, in the opening scene at The Winchester, Ed beans Shaun in the head with a bag, and what I've always heard as he threw it was "Shaun! Corn nuts!".
Also,my friend Kimberly from Coffee and Casseroles is joining me in the kitchen with Shaun of the Dead this month, so I'll hope you'll drop by and check out her Shaun of the Dead inspired Zombie Skins with You've Got Red on You Sauce!
I'll be sharing at least one new recipe from this series every month. To check out all of the past recipes and some upcoming featured titles, check out my "in the kitchen with Zombie Fiction" page!
yield: ~4 cups
Homemade Smoky Ranch Corn Nuts
prep time: 24 hour and 10 MINScook time: 35 MINStotal time: 24 hours and 45 mins
Crunchy, roasted, spiced corn snacks perfect for munching alongside a pint.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound giant dried corn kernels
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ranch dressing seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- fine grain sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Rinse the dried corn and place it in a large bowl, then cover with water by a couple of inches. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge or at cool room temperature for 24 to 36 hours.
- Dump the bowl into a collander set over the sink; shake it around. Let sit in the collander in a cool room for 4 hours, tossing and shaking from time to time, until no longer wet. Alternately, you could use a towel to pat them dry if you're in a hurry.
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the now-dry, but rehydrated, kernels into a dry bowl. Drizzle with oil, then shake the ranch seasoning and smoked paprika over them. Use a wooden spoon to stir around until all of the kernels are evenly coated. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet, scraping any seasoning from the bowl along with the kernels. Spread into a single layer.
- Slide into preheated oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times during that time, until golden and puffed—you might hear a few kernels "pop" in the oven, but that's okay.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle lightly with a little sea salt, then allow to cool completely before enjoying.
Notes:
- Feel free to season your corn nuts however you like by substituing other seasoning and/or spices for the ranch and smoked paprika. Or, simply toss with salt or a salt-n-pepper mix.
©All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. Adapted from Food52.
Created using The Recipes Generator
