Pomegranate recipes

By SASHA PAULSEN
Register Features Editor

Although Mohammed Daftari can recall the time when he had to search through the East Bay looking for pomegranates, the fruit is now turning up everywhere from salads to martinis, and now has a book of its own, “Pomegranates,” by Ann Kleinberg (Tenspeed Press).

“The pomegranate is the new food of the new millennium,” she wrote. “Wouldn’t King Tutan-khamen be having a good laugh over this — he was buried with pomegranates thousands of years ago.”

The book includes 60 recipes for using pomegranates, from appetizers like Drunken Figs with Roquefort in Pomegranate Syrup to Rice Pudding with Currants, Pistachios and Pomegranates. “The writing of this book has led me on an incredible journey,” noted Kleinberg, a transplanted New  Yorker living in Israel.

The book opens with two basic recipes for Pomegranate Syrup and Pomegranate Molasses, which appear in many Middle Eastern recipes.

“Since the explosion of pomegranate mania, products that were previously unavailable are suddenly showing up in food,” she wrote. “When purchasing them a word to the wise is in order. Many are imported and there is no ‘standard of the industry.’ You may find products referred to randomly as syrup, paste, nectar and concentrate … Some have sugar and preservatives, while others are pure and 100 percent natural. Grenadine, for example, long ago forfeited any authentic association with the pomegranate fruit for which it was named, yet it may still be touted as a pomegranate flavoring.”

The fresh fruit should be around through January, time enough to make one’s own pomegranate syrup, a project Kleinberg calls “well worth the effort — the taste is remarkable. If you have the time and inclination, go for it.”

Pomegranate Syrup

Ann Kleinberg, “Pomegranates”

Ingredients

4 cups pomegranate juice

Directions

When making pomegranate syrup, you can use freshly squeezed or store-bought pomegranate juice (buy only pure juice, without sugar or flavorings added).  You will need a large amount to start with; try it with 4 cups as there is a lot of evaporation in the cooking process. Depending on how thick you like your syrup, 4 cups of juice will yield about 2 cups of syrup.

Pour the juice into a saucepan or skillet and bring to a steady boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to maintain a steady, low bubbling, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. After 20 to 30 minutes, the juice will have reduced by about 1/2 and will start to thicken.

To test, dip a spoon in the syrup — it if comes out relatively clean, continue cooking. If the spoon is coated and the syrup take its time about sliding off, you’ve done it!

Another method is to drop a spoonful of the syrup on a chilled plate and wait a few minutes (or place the plate in refrigerator to hasten the process). If the syrup moves slowly around the plate, that’s it — remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely. If it is still runny, continue cooking but pay close attention at this point. If you want very thick syrup, continue cooking and then remove from heat when the syrup reaches the desired consistency or even a little before — it thickens as it cooks.

Pour the cooled syrup into a jar and close tightly. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 6 months.

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 Kleinberg uses the syrup in everything from main courses to this simple vinaigrette for salads.

Basic Vinaigrette with Pomegranate Syrup

Ann Kleinberg, “Pomegranates”

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup canola oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. pomegranate syrup

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Pour into a cruet or screw-top jar. Shake again before dressing a salad.

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This soup recipe leaves the Russian/Eastern European version “in the dust” Kleinberg wrote. “For a nouvelle version try straining the borscht and serving as a broth with only the chunks of meat and beets. It’s a vision in vermilion.”

Beet and Pomegranate Borscht

Ann Kleinberg, “Pomegranates”

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. canola oil

3 yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound stewing beef, cut into chunks

3 beets, peeled and diced

8 cups water

1/4 cup dried yellow or green peas, rinsed

3 Tbsp. Basmati or long-grained white rice, rinsed

1 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts

1 cup minced fresh, flat-leafed parsley leaves

1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

2 cups chopped spinach

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. pomegranate syrup

Directions:

Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the meat and beets and sauté for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the water and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 1 hour or until the meat and beets are cooked through. The beets should be fork-tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and beets to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 6 cups of water, the split peas, rice, green onions, parsley, cilantro and spinach to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.

Return the meat and beets to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the pomegranate syrup and cook for 3 minutes. taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. Serves 8.

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Kleinberg found recipes that use the syrup, as well, as the fresh seeds, in chicken, fish and meat dishes. This  sparerib recipe uses a sauce that she writes, can be used in “any meat or chicken dish that calls for barbecue sauce.”

Spareribs in Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce

Ann Kleinberg, “Pomegranates”

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup pomegranate syrup

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. teriyaki sauce

1/2 tsp. chile paste

Salt and freshly ground pepper

16 spareribs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

To make the barbecue sauce, combine the garlic, pomegranate syrup, olive oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce and chile paste in a bowl. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Coat the spareribs by either rubbing or brushing them with the sauce. Place the spareribs in a roasting pan, without overlapping them. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes so that both sides get evenly done.

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