Pomegranates have become very trendy and are now more readily available.
Their season is April to June and that is when they are at their best, juicy with their arils a deep ruby colour.
They are full of vitamin C, fibre and antioxidants so using them liberally will not only be good for you but also add taste and colour to your dishes.
One of the biggest deterrents to using the fruit is getting the arils or rubies out. I tried a number of methods and found this efficient: Slice a thin piece off each end of the fruit, then cut through the skin in about 4 sections, as though segmenting the fruit.
Pry the segments apart exposing the rubies and then, for a less messy option, submerge the segments in a bowl of water and loosen the rubies with the fingers. This way none of the juice splatters all over the place.
If you don’t mind a bit of splattering, a good way to eject the rubies is to smack the skin of the segments over a bowl with a wooden spoon. If the white membrane prevents the rubies from coming out, then peel this off.
When buying pomegranates, remember that the fruit will not ripen once picked so choose pomegranates that have a good red colour. The heavier the fruit feels, the juicier they will be.
They will store well at room temperature for about 2 weeks or in the fridge for more than a month. The rubies and juice will freeze well for up to 6 months.
The best way to extract the juice is with a juice extractor but we tested it by pulsing the rubies in a blender then pressing the mixture through a sieve and this worked well too.
POMEGRANATE, PRAWN AND POMELO SALAD
Serves 4-6
1 pillow packet of lettuce
1-2 pomeloes, peeled and segmented
1-2 carrots, cut into thin julienne strips
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced
350g cooked prawn tails
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
125ml pomegranate rubies
125ml picked coriander leaves
DRESSING
50ml lime juice
25ml fish sauce
15ml honey
30ml sweet chilli sauce
Line a serving plate with lettuce leaves. Arrange the remaining ingredients over the lettuce and drizzle with the dressing just before serving.
DRESSING: Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
* Pomelo is a citrus fruit similar to grapefruit but only much larger with a very thick skin. It is now in season. I bought mine from Impala Fruit and Vegetable shop in Northcliff, Johannesburg.
POMEGRANATE APRICOT CHICKEN
Serves 4
800g chicken drums and thighs
15ml dried thyme
10ml salt
5ml pepper
2 red onions, halved and sliced
350g baby carrots, washed
250ml dried apricots
250ml pomegranate juice
juice and grated rind from 2 lemons
80ml balsamic vinegar
30ml olive oil
45ml honey
5ml paprika
45ml pomegranate molasses
pomegranate rubies, for garnish
Rub the chicken with thyme, salt and pepper.
In a large, ovenproof casserole with lid, make a bed of onions, carrots and apricots. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
In a jug, combine the pomegranate juice, lemon juice and rind, vinegar, oil and honey and whisk well.
Pour over the chicken and sprinkle with paprika. Cover, refrigerate and allow to marinate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Roast the chicken, covered, for 1 hour. Remove the lid and roast for a further 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and drizzle with the pomegranate molasses. Serve scattered with pomegranate rubies.
* Pomegranate molasses is a syrup made from concentrated pomegranate juice and sugar. It is available from specialty food stores such as Thrupps. To make your own, use the recipe on www.angeladay.co.za
POMEGRANATE MOUSSE PIE
300g digestive biscuits, crushed
100g butter, melted
350ml pomegranate juice
15ml gelatine
100g white chocolate
500ml cream
60ml castor sugar
a few drops of red food colouring
extra cream for decorating
pomegranate rubies for decorating
Combine biscuits and melted butter and mix well.
Press the mixture into a deep 22cm pie plate and place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Place 45ml of the pomegranate juice in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. As soon as it is absorbed, microwave it for 10 seconds to dissolve.
Warm the remaining pomegranate juice in a pot. Remove from the heat and add in the dissolved gelatin and mix well. Place the mixture in the freezer to chill well. Stir often to stop it freezing on the outer edges.
Combine chocolate and 60ml of the cream in a bowl and microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes until melted. Mix until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Whip the remaining cream with the castor sugar until thick.
Beat in the melted chocolate and then the chilled pomegranate juice. Add a few drops of colouring to achieve a nice pink colour.
Pour the mixture into the crust and refrigerate for 4-5 hours until set. Decorate with whipped cream and pomegranate rubies.
YOGHURT CAKE WITH POMEGRANATE SYRUP
200g butter, softened
250ml castor sugar
5 extra-large eggs, separated
10ml grated lemon rind
250ml plain yoghurt
5ml vanilla essence
560ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
2.5ml bicarbonate of soda
SYRUP:
160ml castor sugar
250ml pomegranate juice
a few strips of lemon rind
25ml lemon juice
For serving: pomegranate rubies
Cream the butter and castor sugar well. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the lemon rind, yoghurt and vanilla essence.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and fold into the creamed mixture.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and then fold into the creamed mixture.
Spoon into a deep 22cm cake tin which has been greased and base lined. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40-50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pierce the top of the cake with a skewer. Pour over the hot syrup.
Cool in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Serve topped with pomegranate rubies
SYRUP: Place all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes.
BULGUR POMEGRANATE SALAD
Serves 8-10
375ml bulgur wheat
750ml boiling water
125ml chopped parsley
60ml chopped mint
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and diced
50g pistachio nuts, chopped
15ml chopped preserved lemon (optional)
180ml pomegranate rubies
DRESSING
80ml olive oil
45ml lemon juice
5ml Dijon mustard
10ml honey
salt and pepper
Place the bulghur wheat in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Cover and set aside for 30-40 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Drain well through a sieve. Place the bulghur in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Toss well to combine. Mix in the dressing.
DRESSING: Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
The Star, Angela Day