Moveable Feast Marino Corazza
THAT famous Russian goldsmith and jeweller, the creator of those much admired, greatly coveted and ridiculously expensive eggs, could have missed a trick. After all, Monsieur Faberge had a natural in the pomegranate. Once the leathery skin has been cracked, this exotic fruit reveals a priceless bijou. It is an apple of many seeds, with garnet, cherry, carmine, vermilion, coral, scarlet and magenta-hued gemstones. But, its exquisite beauty apart, there aren’t too many uses for the precious fruit. As they are now plentiful and in season, here are a few culinary suggestions (searched for far and wide) for which the pomegranate is unsurpassed by other fruits.
First of all, do not choose pomegranates that are shrivelled and hard. Select ones that are colourful with no cracks or splits; the heavier they are, the more juice they will yield.
Extracting the flavour is top priority. Treat the fruits like oranges: cut them in half and squeeze the fresh, juicy flesh with a reamer, then strain. Caution should be exercised here as the sanguine flesh stains badly.
To retain the edible rubies, there is a reliable method. Cut the blossom end of the fruit off and then score the skin into four segments. Then, in a bowl, cover the orb with cold water and let it soak for a couple of minutes. While holding it under water break it apart and separate the seeds from the pulp. The heavy seeds will sink to the bottom while the pulp and the skin will float to the top, to be discarded. Scoop out the seeds and let them dry on a muslin towel.
For pomegranate syrup, you will need two cups of strained pomegranate juice and a cup of sugar. In an enamelled saucepan, bring the juice and sugar to the boil, stirring and simmering briskly for five minutes, skimming the surface froth. Let the infusion cool, then strain through a plastic colander lined with a double layer of squeezed cheesecloth into a ceramic bowl. The resulting two cups of syrup can be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge or frozen.
The resulting grenadine forms the beguiling magic for “tequila sunrises” and the precious elixir of a favourite Middle-Eastern dish, Persian Blushing Chicken.
Cut up a 1,5kg chicken into serving pieces. Saute the pieces in butter, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper until golden brown on all sides. Or alternatively, bake the same in a 180 degree oven for about three-quarters of an hour. Set aside.
Saute one large, finely chopped onion until golden. Add two tablespoons of fresh tomato sauce and simmer for a few minutes. Add to this two cups of finely chopped walnuts and saute over a medium heat for about five minutes. Stir carefully so as not to burn the walnuts. Add two cups of water, one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, two good squirts of lemon juice and one cup of fresh pomegranate juice or three tablespoons of the syrup. Cover and let cook on a low heat for about 35 minutes. Taste the sauce; if you find it a little sharp, adjust with sugar. Add the chicken to the sauce, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes more. Serve with rice.
For the precious kernels, there’s the glistening, russet- sequinned risotto. In a large saucepan cook a minced onion in two equal tablespoons of sweet butter and olive oil until soft. Add two and a half cups of Arborio rice stirring constantly. Add a half cup of good dry white wine over medium heat, stir for about a minute and then add half a cup of chicken broth. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until broth is absorbed. Continue with broth, half a cup at a time — you’ll need about five cups — stirring constantly and letting each portion be absorbed before adding the next (it will take about 20 minutes to be perfect and al dente). Remove the pan from the heat, then add about 170g of gorgonzola (or any good blue cheese), cut into small cubes. Stir with the rice until completely melted. Stir in three-quarters of a cup of pomegranate seeds, season and serve.