Pomegranate

[lou_31]

I have just bought my first fresh pomegranate and now I am stuck for how best to use him. I have used them before in classes, but never at home. I know how to get the seeds out, but how best to use them?

The only thing I have is a vague memory of using them as a garnish in all sort of middle eastern dishes, especially with lamb.

[Gifted Gourmet]

lots and lots of neat ideas right here!

Many of the recipes under "preserves, dips, and sauces" look simple and appealing both visually and taste-wise .. the pomegranate vinaigrette is most interesting ...

[rlibkind]

I enjoy simply eating the seeds as is.

One garnish use I've seen that's particularly attractive is to scatter them atop guacamole (Barrio Cafe, Phoenix). The contrast of the deep red and cool green is quite visually pleasing.

[CanadianBakin']

I just tried a recipe from Flo Braker's Sweet Miniatures that is a mini tart shell painted with dark chocolate and then filled with candied cranberries and pomegranate seeds. It's a really nice conbination of tastes and textures. If you'd like the recipe, please let me know.

Edited October 23, 2005 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[Feedbag]

Well if this isn't the most eerily coincidental thing that's

happened in a while. I sat down at the computer, fired up

egullet, while munching on a pomegranate. As I was

enjoying those little ruby red pearls bursting in my mouth,

I wondered, I wonder what else you can do with pomegranate

seeds? I recalled hearing the juice makes a wonderful glaze

for pork or lamb, so I thought I'd first search on egullet

to see if anyone's ever mentioned this, and if not, post

the question myself. Then, yikes!, this thread. Wow.

Anyhoo, thanks for the link to the recipes, but there's nothing

noted for pork. Can I assume you can use roast pork in place

of lamb in those particular recipes?

[rajsuman]

Two uses for pomegranates in this household:

1) Eat the seeds on their own

2) Use them as a garnish on phirni, ice cream, fruit salads.

[Swisskaese]

You can make a Pomegranate Tart, garnish salads, chicken, beef and lamb dishes with them.

I usually sprinkle them on dishes that I prepared with fruits and pomegranate molasses.

Edited October 24, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[jackal10]

Pomegranate powder is used as a spice/condiment in Persian/Iran cuisine. Gives a light lemony flavour.

Edited October 24, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[jennahan]

There is a georgeous Persian braised duck dish called Fesenjan. It is usually made with pomegranate syrup, but I didn't have any in my pantry, so I reduced down the juice of 2 pomegranates until syrupy. It worked very well.

Additionally, I love to make a pomegranate bellini using pomegranate juice instead of white peach nectar, and floating some pomegranate seeds in the glass.

I also use them quite often in a salad with Israeli cous-cous and grilled veg. The tangy sweetness and crunch are a great complement to the slight charred flavour and softish crunch of grilled veg.

[Brad Ballinger]

In the link Melissa provided there is a recipe for pomegranate vinaigrette that calls for removing the kernels and placing them with everything else in a blender, then straining.

I've made a pomegranate vinaigrette a number of time, reserving some kernels for the salad itself, and I've found it pretty easy just to juice the pomegranate as one would a lemon. You have to make sure you've pressed the entire thing, but it is simpler than pulling out the blender IMHO.

[ludja]

I like adding them to citrus salads or as a garnish to certain sorbets like lime, lemon or grapefruit. Sometimes I splash the sorbet with vodka, or campari, etc and then sprinkle with the pomegranates.

[PAYAL SHARMA]

I have just bought my first fresh pomegranate and now I am stuck for how best to use him. I have used them before in classes, but never at home. I know how to get the seeds out, but how best to use them?

The only thing I have is a vague memory of using them as a garnish in all sort of middle eastern dishes, especially with lamb.

←

You can make a very delicious dip with walnnuts and pomegranate seeds. You can also make pomegranate chutney and serve with appetizers or a topping for toasted bread.

[shelora]

Growing up, my sister and I used to eat pomegranates with the aid of a pin, impaling each juicy seed.

[Chris Amirault]

You can make a very delicious dip with walnnuts and pomegranate seeds.  You can also make pomegranate chutney and serve with appetizers or a topping for toasted bread.

←

Welcome, Payal! Can you give us a name and a recipe?

[skye]

pomegranites scream 'salad' to me:

mmm-some snappy, bitter greens. super thinly sliced red onions, maybe a little sushi grade tuna or hamachi, evoo, lemon, s+p....mmm...

the white part of frisee, orange supremes, julienned radicchio, ground pistachios.......

[touaregsand]

Pomegranate syrup

[Brigit Binns]

Funny. Just tonight I became attracted to a recipe in Terrance Brennan's new book for duck pastrami and frisee salad with a pomegranate vinaigrette, as a possible Thanksgiving starter....it says pomegranate juice is available in "gourmet markets"...etc. Is this the same things as "Pom," does anyone know? Or is "Pom" sweetened too much? I'm lazy and trying to avoid juicing the pomegranate and turning the kitchen counter and my clothese permanently scarlet.

I am also in search of a classy, subtle Persimmon soup, possibly curried...

[annanstee]

I make a salad with mesclun, goats cheese, sweet and spicy nuts ( make walnuts or pecans) and thinly sliced red onion, with lashings of pomegranite seeds on top. Dressing of olive oil, sea salt, lemon and a little pear puree ( I just use a fine plane with ripe pears and grate it over the leaves. Disclosure: I stole the pear thing from a Jamie Oliver show).

[PAYAL SHARMA]

You can make a very delicious dip with walnnuts and pomegranate seeds.  You can also make pomegranate chutney and serve with appetizers or a topping for toasted bread.

←

Welcome, Payal! Can you give us a name and a recipe?

←

Here's the recipe for the walnut and pomegrenate dip. It's called muhamarah.

1 cup pomegrenate seeds.

1/4 cup walnuts

10 cloves garlic

2 teaspoon red chili powder

salt to taste and aslo 1 tbsp lemon juice.

blend all the ingredients with olive oil in the blender. It should have tghe texture of hummus. Serve with pita chips or any other kind of cracker or chips.

Pomegranate chutney Here's the recipe.

1/2 cup tamarind dried

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

boil them together and add fresh ginger, cumin powder, chilly powder and salt in the mixture while it's boiling. Also add some jaggery or brown sugar if the mixture is too sour. Make sure it boils on slow heat. Maybe after 15 to 20 minutes the mixture will be thick. Let it cool and strain . After that blend it in a blender till it liquifies. Adjust the salt per taste. You should have a delicious sweet and sour sauce you can serve with any appetizer. Hope you like the recipe's.....

[ludja]

Thanks Payal Sharma for the great recipes for the dip and chutney.

I just posted a recipe using pomegranates with dates and pistachios in another thread here.

(Great inspiration from Judy Rodger (Zuni Cafe) re: mascarpone stuffed dates with pistachios and pomegranates and fresh oranges).

Welcome to egullet by the way, Payal Sharma! Great first posts.

[lou_31]

Wow - these are all such great ideas. I love the idea of a pomegranate tart - maybe with cranberries too. I'll have to make it sometime.

In the end, I made a salad - the easy option, but we are moving next week, so that precluded anything too elaborate. I toasted pecan nuts, and then added the pomegranate seeds and some mixed greens. I reserved the juice separately, mixed it with a little orange juice and olive oil and seasoned it to make a dressing. I also sliced an apple and dressed it with the pomegranate juice - makes it all pink. I finished it off with crumbled Midnight Moon cheese - a goat's milk gouda.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48193103@N00/57014473/

It was great - next time I might pick a slightly saltier, more savoury cheese, and use lemon instead of orange juice to give the dressing a little more acid.

Thanks for all the great ideas - this won't be my last pomegranate!

[Nathan P.]

Tonight I made a nice warm salad of shredded smoked duck leg, bonilla shallots, corn, fennel and pomegranate seeds topped with a some baby arugula. I like pomegranate seeds in these types of salads as they add visual and textural excitment plus a bit of sweeteness and acidity.

[McAuliflower]

Ohh.... to echo the previous mentions : the pomegranate site mentioned by gifted gourmet is great. Beacuse of them I now make my guacamole with pomegranates in it.

Ove the years I've been working at recreating a long lost local Khoresht that is a stew of walnuts and pomegranate juice. I've made it successfully with goat and pork (the pork being my favorite).

...........................................................................

Khoresht-E-Fesenjan

Toast 3/4 cup of walnut pieces.

Add to a blender with:

* 3/4 of a large onion

* 1/2 cup of stock

* two cups of pomegranate juice (the pom-tangerine works really well too, as I imagine the blueberry would)

Blend till the nuts are ground fine.

Brown 2 lbs of your favorite meat that will hold up to a long cook and pour the blended sauce over.

* My favorite method is making this with country style boneless pork ribs. The traditional methods are making this with chicken, duck, lamb and goat.

* Cube two pounds of country style boneless ribs into 1 inch cubes. Sprinkle with two tsp of salt. In a hot pan, add 1 Tbs of oil, and allow to get hot. Add cubed pork and sear on all sides till browned and juices have evaporated, taking approximately 15- 20 minutes. Now pour your blended ingredients over the seared meat.

Sprinkle on:

* 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

* a good pinch of saffron

Stir in either two Tbs of ketchup or two tablespoons of tomato paste with 2 tsp of sugar.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer with the lid on for at least one hour.

Remove lid and continue to simmer, allowing sauce to thicken. The longer this cooks the better! (If making in a pressure cooker, cook for 45 minutes till the meat is tender. Remove the meat chunks to a plate and reduce the sauce till thick. Add the meat back to the thickened sauce.)

When meat is tender, stir in one Tbs of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and possibly add more sugar to taste.

Break up the pork cubes by pressing down on them with the back of a large spoon. I find this shreads them the easy way.

Serve up! I like serving this on saffron rice made with butter and onions, Or just with warm pittas. Also, the leftovers make a great burrito with guacamole.