Pomegranate Concentrate – what to do with it?

[mskerr]

After cleaning and reorganizing my pantry yesterday, I found all those neglected random ingredients that I bought a year ago and still haven't used. One of them is Carlo brand pomegranate concentrate.

How does this relate to pomegranate molasses?

Any tips on what to use it for?

Cheers!

[Hassouni]

It's almost surely the same thing.

Start cooking lots of Iraqi food! (and some Persian and Lebanese and Caucasian too)

Make fesenjoon

Use it in the stuffing of dolma

Use it in salad dressing

Use it in eggplant stews

That's just off the top of my head. Look up recipes for pomegranate molasses, or in Arabic - "dibs rumman" and you should be set.

[mskerr]

Cheers! Do you have a recommended salad dressing recipe?

[Hassouni]

Use it anywhere you would balsamic vinegar, since it's thick, sour, and sweet. A bit of olive oil, maybe a splash of lemon, shake it up, voila!

[mskerr]

Awesome. I think that gave me a reason to get around to making a salad from the garden tonight.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Fennel sesame cookies

Greens with pomegranate molasses

Walnut-pomegranate dip/sauce

I've also used it in place of lemon juice in hummus, and in situations where I might otherwise use a squeeze of lemon for lift to finish a soup or sauce or drink.

[dcarch]

Make

Blushing Geisha

dcarch

[Hassouni]

I really can't recommend fesenjoon strongly enough, though

[MelissaH]

I really can't recommend fesenjoon strongly enough, though

Got a recipe or technique to share?

MelissaH

[Hassouni]

hmmmm, this looks decent: http://mypersiankitchen.com/khoresht-fesenjan-persian-pomegranate-and-walnut-stew/

[rotuts]

I use it on grilled salmon.

I also use it as a drink: mix a little in ice cold water or seltzer its tart and a little sweet.

in my various ME stores there are various brands. I prefer the ones that do not have crystallization along the top. One brand Ive used a lot is Baroody.

[Hassouni]

The rule of thumb is this - Arab brands are more sour, Iranian brands are sweeter (but still a bit tart).

Former:

Cortas (this is the main one)

several others (Baroody as rotuts mentioned is one)

Latter:

Golchin

Sadaf

For something like Fesenjoon I use a mix of Golchin and Cortas.

[rotuts]

I guess I lucked out: I sometimes get Cortas. as Im a sour sort of guy, theysuit me fine. Excellent glaze. refreshing drink.

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

I grow pomegranates commercially (as well as walnuts). The concentrated juice is not the same as molasses and is reduced further, usually by half, to become what we call pomegranate molasses. Commercial molasses usually has more depth of flavor than you can make at home. But using the concentrate to deglaze and then make a reduction sauce can give a close approximation to commercial molasses.

I'd use concentrate with drinks/desserts etc or if you want to make a reduction sauce use it to lacquer meat or try my:

POMEGRANATE LACQUERED DUCK RECIPE

Score the skin side of free-range duck breasts ( or chicken thigh if you prefer) but without going as deep as the meat layer. Season with pepper only and brown, skin side down in a medium heated pan for 7 minutes, reduce the heat and after 2-3 minutes more flip and cook 4-5 minutes on the second side, the exact time will depend on the size.and be more for chicken thighs. Add a splash of cognac/brandy if you have it and flame off the alcohol then remove meat and rest covered with foil. Pour any excess fat from the pan and deglaze with equal amounts of pomegranate concentrate and honey. Reduce to a syrup, remember it will thicken as it cools ,taste, adjust seasoning adding salt if necessary. Remove from heat and add some chopped nuts (wal, hazel, cashew or pecan) and some orange slices &/0r pomegranate avrils. Lacquer the duck skin with the sauce, slice and serve on a bed of steamed greens, spooning over the captured juice and some extra sauce. ( also indulgently luscious served on creamy mash, but we won't go there...)

[mskerr]

POMEGRANATE LACQUERED DUCK RECIPE

Score the skin side of free-range duck breasts ( or chicken thigh if you prefer) but without going as deep as the meat layer. Season with pepper only and brown, skin side down in a medium heated pan for 7 minutes, reduce the heat and after 2-3 minutes more flip and cook 4-5 minutes on the second side, the exact time will depend on the size.and be more for chicken thighs. Add a splash of cognac/brandy if you have it and flame off the alcohol then remove meat and rest covered with foil. Pour any excess fat from the pan and deglaze with equal amounts of pomegranate concentrate and honey. Reduce to a syrup, remember it will thicken as it cools ,taste, adjust seasoning adding salt if necessary. Remove from heat and add some chopped nuts (wal, hazel, cashew or pecan) and some orange slices &/0r pomegranate avrils. Lacquer the duck skin with the sauce, slice and serve on a bed of steamed greens, spooning over the captured juice and some extra sauce. ( also indulgently luscious served on creamy mash, but we won't go there...)

Sounds delicious! Thank you.

[percyn]

The duck sounds great.

I have used it on roasted leg of lamb and even to glaze some ribs.

[mskerr]

I've never cooked anything with pomegranate concentrate or molasses. I do have a lot of fatty odd-sized lamb chunks here, as well as some hand-chopped beef, and roasted chicken breasts.

How would you recommend cooking with pom. concentrate to a newbie?

For reference, the brand I have is Carl'o, from Glendale, CA.

[Hassouni]

Mince the lamb and make stuffed peppers and other dolma with it, and add some pom syrup (I'm just going to use that term from now on). This looks like a decent recipe, http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Iraqi-Stuffed-Onions, use the stuffing with peppers, onions, tomatoes, little eggplants, and of course grape leaves (for a real Iraqi twist you'd use swiss chard leaves)

[AlenChris]

Except eating raw I have never used pomegranates for cooking. However you guys have shared a few good ideas here. I would try to use pomegranates in the cooking too.

[mskerr]

Mince the lamb and make stuffed peppers and other dolma with it, and add some pom syrup (I'm just going to use that term from now on). This looks like a decent recipe, http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Iraqi-Stuffed-Onions, use the stuffing with peppers, onions, tomatoes, little eggplants, and of course grape leaves (for a real Iraqi twist you'd use swiss chard leaves)

Looks great, thanks! I happen to have more Swiss chard than I know what to do with this summer, so that's an extra plus.