The sweet and tangy pomegranate provides mouthwatering options. (Chicago Tribune/Bob Fila) |
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Sweet and tangy as they are, pomegranates are undoubtedly the "un-convenience" fruit. Few other foods demand as much of the eater. Not only do you have to break through that tough, leathery outer shell, but then you have to pry apart the pith to get to the delicious, though admittedly seedy, edible parts.
Even after all that, you may well wind up with all of your clothes stained bright red. That's probably why you rarely see anyone walking down the street snacking on a pomegranate. There's an easy way to clean a pomegranate, though. Score the skin in quarters and open it up. Then put each quarter underwater and use your fingers to ream the seeds from the inside. The pith is light and will float to the top; the heavier seedy fruit will sink. Use them as garnishes for salads and desserts.
How to choose: Select pomegranates that are heavy for their size--they'll be the juiciest. Don't worry too much about the color of the rind: It can vary from completely red to reddish-brown without it affecting the quality. Do look for deep color though.
How to store: Pomegranates should be refrigerated; they'll last at least three to four weeks. Once they've been seeded, the seeds also can be frozen in a tightly sealed bag.
How to prepare: Slice Fuyu persimmons and dress them with a little sugar and a dash of orange liqueur, then scatter pomegranate seeds over the top.
Kabocha squash soup with pomegranate seeds and spicy candied pecans
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Note: Adapted from Craig Strong, chef de cuisine, the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa. This recipe requires the use of a candy thermometer (or a thermometer reaching 265 degrees).
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 (2 1/2 pound) kabocha squash, peeled, cleaned and diced into 3/4 -inch pieces
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup pecan halves
1/8 teaspoon espelette or cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1. Heat a 4-quart sauce pan or small pot over low heat. Add the butter and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the squash, broth and cream, and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and one-fourth teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, loosely covered, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in a blender, or using an immersion blender, and pass through a strainer to remove any remaining solids. You should have about 9 cups soup. Set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
4. While the soup is cooking, candy the pecans. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring to moisten all of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, evaporating the water and cooking the sugar, until a thermometer inserted in the liquid reads 265 degrees (hard ball stage for sugar), 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from heat.
5. Add the pecans and pepper powder to the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until cool. The sugar will crystallize (or seize) as it cools, forming a cloudy hard coating around the nuts; this is fine.
6. When the nuts have cooled, heat a clean, medium pan over moderate heat. Stir in the crystallized nuts and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar coating on each nut caramelizes. Remove from heat and allow the caramelized nuts to cool on a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with a small handful of spiced candied pecans and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
Nutritional information:
Each of 8 servings: 411 calories; 5 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 85 mg. cholesterol; 609 mg. sodium.
Beet and pomegranate salad
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: Adapted from "The Book of New Israeli Food" by Janna Gur. Pomegranate concentrate or molasses is available at select Jons markets, cooking supply stores and Middle Eastern markets.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium beets
2 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate or molasses
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 to 3 small, dried red chile peppers, crushed
Coarse sea salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup lightly flavored olive oil
1. Cook the beets in a covered medium saucepan of boiling water until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into very small dice. Place in a medium bowl.
2. Add the pomegranate concentrate, lemon juice, peppers, one-eighth teaspoon sea salt, or to taste, and combine. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
3. Toss the beets with the cilantro leaves and pomegranate seeds, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Nutritional information:
Each serving: 118 calories; 1 gram protein; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 24 mg. sodium.
Pomegranate braised lamb
Total time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Note: Adapted from a recipe by Todd Aarons. Have your butcher either net the roast or tie it to keep it together.
Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder roast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 to 6 cups kosher vegetable broth (enough stock to cover the roast halfway in the pan)
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
Salt to taste
Additional notes: Kosher vegetable broth is available at kosher markets, Whole Foods stores and the ethnic foods section of select supermarkets. The roast can be served with a mint gremolata (equal parts minced garlic, mint and lemon zest) or quick-sautéed chard and beet greens. Pomegranate molasses is available at well-stocked supermarkets and gourmet stores. To make pomegranate molasses that is kosher for Passover, simmer pomegranate juice until syrupy (reduced by about half).
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat the roast dry with a paper towel, then season all over with 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Grind the peppercorns, allspice berries, cumin seeds, dried mint, cinnamon and nutmeg in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Spread the spice mixture onto a baking sheet and roll the roast in the spices until it is covered.
3. Heat a large braising pan over medium heat, then add the olive oil and heat until hot. Add the roast and sear it on all sides until browned. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the lamb back to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated. Add the broth and pomegranate molasses so that the liquid comes halfway up the roast. Place a piece of parchment paper over the roast and cover the pan with the lid or a tightly fitted piece of foil.
5. Braise in the oven for 2 hours. Halfway through cooking, turn the roast over so that the uncovered portion is submerged in the braising liquid. The finished roast will be well-done but fork-tender. Remove the roast to a plate and allow to rest, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Make the sauce: Skim and discard the fat from the top of the braising liquid. Strain the liquid into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce by one-fourth or until desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt to taste. Slice the roast and serve with the sauce spooned over it.
Nutritional information:
Each serving: 603 calories; 42 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 40 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 151 mg. cholesterol; 2,093 mg. sodium.
Even after all that, you may well wind up with all of your clothes stained bright red. That's probably why you rarely see anyone walking down the street snacking on a pomegranate. There's an easy way to clean a pomegranate, though. Score the skin in quarters and open it up. Then put each quarter underwater and use your fingers to ream the seeds from the inside. The pith is light and will float to the top; the heavier seedy fruit will sink. Use them as garnishes for salads and desserts.
How to choose: Select pomegranates that are heavy for their size--they'll be the juiciest. Don't worry too much about the color of the rind: It can vary from completely red to reddish-brown without it affecting the quality. Do look for deep color though.
How to store: Pomegranates should be refrigerated; they'll last at least three to four weeks. Once they've been seeded, the seeds also can be frozen in a tightly sealed bag.
How to prepare: Slice Fuyu persimmons and dress them with a little sugar and a dash of orange liqueur, then scatter pomegranate seeds over the top.
Kabocha squash soup with pomegranate seeds and spicy candied pecans
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Note: Adapted from Craig Strong, chef de cuisine, the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa. This recipe requires the use of a candy thermometer (or a thermometer reaching 265 degrees).
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 (2 1/2 pound) kabocha squash, peeled, cleaned and diced into 3/4 -inch pieces
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup pecan halves
1/8 teaspoon espelette or cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1. Heat a 4-quart sauce pan or small pot over low heat. Add the butter and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the squash, broth and cream, and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and one-fourth teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, loosely covered, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in a blender, or using an immersion blender, and pass through a strainer to remove any remaining solids. You should have about 9 cups soup. Set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
4. While the soup is cooking, candy the pecans. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring to moisten all of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, evaporating the water and cooking the sugar, until a thermometer inserted in the liquid reads 265 degrees (hard ball stage for sugar), 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from heat.
5. Add the pecans and pepper powder to the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until cool. The sugar will crystallize (or seize) as it cools, forming a cloudy hard coating around the nuts; this is fine.
6. When the nuts have cooled, heat a clean, medium pan over moderate heat. Stir in the crystallized nuts and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar coating on each nut caramelizes. Remove from heat and allow the caramelized nuts to cool on a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with a small handful of spiced candied pecans and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
Nutritional information:
Each of 8 servings: 411 calories; 5 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 85 mg. cholesterol; 609 mg. sodium.
Beet and pomegranate salad
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: Adapted from "The Book of New Israeli Food" by Janna Gur. Pomegranate concentrate or molasses is available at select Jons markets, cooking supply stores and Middle Eastern markets.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium beets
2 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate or molasses
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 to 3 small, dried red chile peppers, crushed
Coarse sea salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup lightly flavored olive oil
1. Cook the beets in a covered medium saucepan of boiling water until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into very small dice. Place in a medium bowl.
2. Add the pomegranate concentrate, lemon juice, peppers, one-eighth teaspoon sea salt, or to taste, and combine. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
3. Toss the beets with the cilantro leaves and pomegranate seeds, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Nutritional information:
Each serving: 118 calories; 1 gram protein; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 24 mg. sodium.
Pomegranate braised lamb
Total time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Note: Adapted from a recipe by Todd Aarons. Have your butcher either net the roast or tie it to keep it together.
Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder roast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 to 6 cups kosher vegetable broth (enough stock to cover the roast halfway in the pan)
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
Salt to taste
Additional notes: Kosher vegetable broth is available at kosher markets, Whole Foods stores and the ethnic foods section of select supermarkets. The roast can be served with a mint gremolata (equal parts minced garlic, mint and lemon zest) or quick-sautéed chard and beet greens. Pomegranate molasses is available at well-stocked supermarkets and gourmet stores. To make pomegranate molasses that is kosher for Passover, simmer pomegranate juice until syrupy (reduced by about half).
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat the roast dry with a paper towel, then season all over with 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Grind the peppercorns, allspice berries, cumin seeds, dried mint, cinnamon and nutmeg in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Spread the spice mixture onto a baking sheet and roll the roast in the spices until it is covered.
3. Heat a large braising pan over medium heat, then add the olive oil and heat until hot. Add the roast and sear it on all sides until browned. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the lamb back to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated. Add the broth and pomegranate molasses so that the liquid comes halfway up the roast. Place a piece of parchment paper over the roast and cover the pan with the lid or a tightly fitted piece of foil.
5. Braise in the oven for 2 hours. Halfway through cooking, turn the roast over so that the uncovered portion is submerged in the braising liquid. The finished roast will be well-done but fork-tender. Remove the roast to a plate and allow to rest, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Make the sauce: Skim and discard the fat from the top of the braising liquid. Strain the liquid into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce by one-fourth or until desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt to taste. Slice the roast and serve with the sauce spooned over it.
Nutritional information:
Each serving: 603 calories; 42 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 40 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 151 mg. cholesterol; 2,093 mg. sodium.
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