Popcorn made in a pan for a Halloween film night

On the evening of Halloween, once the doors have stopped knocking, we close the curtains and put on a film that is only a little bit scary. Popcorn belongs to that evening. I make it in a big saucepan on the hob, and it takes about five minutes. It is cheaper than microwave bags, I know exactly what goes into it, and the sound of it popping under the lid is half the fun.

You need very little: plain popcorn kernels from the supermarket, a neutral oil with a high smoke point such as sunflower or rapeseed, and salt. For a big bowl, enough for four, I use 100 g of kernels and two tablespoons of oil.

The pan matters. I use a large, heavy saucepan with a lid that fits well, big enough that the popped corn has room. A thin pan burns the kernels before they pop.

I pour the oil into the pan with three kernels and put it over a medium-high heat with the lid on. When those three kernels pop, the oil is hot enough. I take the pan off the heat for a moment, tip in the rest of the kernels in one layer, shake the pan, put the lid back on and wait thirty seconds off the heat. This brings all the kernels to the same temperature, so more of them pop at once.

Then the pan goes back on the heat. Within a minute the popping starts. I shake the pan gently every few seconds, holding the lid down with an oven glove, and I leave the lid slightly open at one side so steam can escape. Steam makes popcorn chewy. When the popping slows to a few seconds between pops, I take the pan off the heat straight away and tip the popcorn into a big bowl. If I wait for the last kernel, the rest burns.

This part needs care. Hot oil and steam come out of the pan, and the kernels can jump. I keep the children back from the hob, I never lift the lid towards my face, and I let the pan cool on a back ring.

While the popcorn is still warm, I sprinkle over a little fine salt and toss it. For a sweet bowl, I melt a little butter with a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and toss it through. I keep the salt light, because the children have the salty crisps from the party too.

Now the important thing for parents of small children. Popcorn is a choking hazard for young children. Pieces are light and dry and can be breathed in, and the hard unpopped kernels and husks are a risk too. Official advice is not to give popcorn to children under five. So the little ones get something else: apple slices, soft cheese cubes or a few breadsticks. For the older children I sift out the hard unpopped kernels before the bowl goes round, and I ask everyone to sit down while they eat, not to run around with a handful.

Popcorn is best eaten fresh, the same evening. Any that is left, I let cool and keep in a sealed container or tin for a day or two. It goes soft quickly in the air.

Hob popcorn. Serves 4. About 10 minutes. You need 100 g popcorn kernels, 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil and a pinch of fine salt. Heat the oil with three kernels in a large heavy pan with a lid. When they pop, add the rest, rest the pan for 30 seconds off the heat, then return it to the heat and shake until the popping slows. Tip into a bowl, salt and sift out unpopped kernels. Not for children under five.

What do you eat on a film night?