Seasonal Recipe Spotlight: Pomegranates

Pomegranates are still very much in season, and they are one of my favorite winter fruits. They're just so unlike almost any other fruit - full of tart, sparkling seeds hiding under a skin like weathered red leather.

But I do need help thinking of things to do with them. Salads and pasta are easy; stir them in with a little soft cheese and a raspberry vinaigrette. But what about more sophisticated dishes? Well, first you need to choose a good one and get it open. Over at Gourmet's blog, David Rackoff explains an easy way to open a pomegranate. I do wish there was a video of his expert method, and it doesn't seem quite as splatter-free as the bowl-in-the-sink technique.

What to do, though, with those plump red jewels? Well, first there's this guacamole recipe...

This recipe for Guacamole with Pear and Pomegranate Seeds at Epicurious has pears, grapes, a hot bite of chilies, and pomegranate arils, for a tart, crunchy note. This is the very opposite of what I usually like - plain, chunky guacamole with nothing but a little lime and salt. It's admittedly odd, but the combination of salty, sweet, smooth, chunky, and spicy turns out to be heaven on a chip.

For dinner, I have been wanting to try Cornish Game Hens with Pomegranate Sauce and Toasted Almonds over at Leite's Culinaria. This calls for pomegranate concentrate, found at Middle Eastern groceries.

And these Cava and Pomegranate Cocktails over at Food & Wine sound just wonderful - simple and delicious. You would probably be able to retrieve enough seeds and juice from one pomegranate to make these.

Happy pomegranate days!

Comments (6)

This website looks like it has pictures that describe David's method....Enjoy!

http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe1005a.htm

posted by colleen on 2007-01-19 14:02:20

How about this method?

http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-to-de-seed-pomegranate.html

posted by Kristen on 2007-01-19 15:24:54

Cut the pomegranate round the 'equator'. Hold the half over a large bowl and hit the skin hard with a wooden spoon. The 'jewels' will fall into the bowl.

posted by double eff on 2007-01-20 03:43:06

Chile Rellenos stuffed with goat cheese and queso fresco with a walnut pomegranate sauce, topped with chopped walnuts and whole pomegranate seeds.

posted by jd on 2007-01-20 09:13:16

Save those beautiful pomegranate seeds for dessert. Try using the jewels and a little of the pom juice over vanilla ice cream. It is the most satisfying combination of sweet and tart imaginable! It's so easy, but it looks so elegant. You won't be disappointed! Now if only Haagen Dazs would catch on to my discovery!

posted by Adrienne on 2007-01-20 15:16:27

My family puts them in salads a lot. They're especially tasty paired with some of the more bitter greens- I like frisee, a very fruity extra virgin olive oil, seasalt and a tiny dash of vinegar. Top with the pomegranate seeds and it's super refreshing!

posted by Laura (murray hill) on 2007-01-22 16:43:59