Pomegranate Molasses?

[Lena-nouncer]

Having been given a bottle of Pomegranate Molasses by a co-worker and not knowing what to do with it, has anyone ever purchased this stuff before and what on earth do you do with it. The gal who gave it to me is Middle Eastern and told me to put it into 'anything', she didn't have a specific recipe. Just curious if anyone uses this product.

[blazedog]

There is a delicious recipe from C/L for chicken thighs -- I found it better the next day cold.

Google for recipes as I think C/L has some others I haven't tried yet -- it's got a nice distinctive taste.

I also got some pomegranate vinegar which is delicious.

[jtoepfert100]

I keep meaning to try this recipe. MISSINDI posted it awhile back since I LOVED the chicken thighs Blazedog mentioned. Let me know if you need that recipe posted and I'll be glad to do so. Meanwhile, here's another:

Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce:Recipe

I can barely believe it, but my bottle of pomegranate molasses is almost empty! To think I bought it just a little over six months ago. I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it--stews, marinades, salad dressing, kebabs and now, barbecue sauce. It occurred to me just a few weeks ago that its distinctive tangy flavor would be perfect for ribs or meaty vegetables like mushrooms or eggplant. So I began experimenting with it until I came up with a recipe I liked.

Fresh pomegranate is a labor intensive ingredient, but pomegranate molasses adds a rich taste to sauces, soups and stews with a minimum of effort. My theory is that it is used in Middle Eastern cooking much like wine is used in Western cooking. It adds fruitiness, acidity and depth of flavor, though unlike wine, it is already "reduced" to a thick syrupy consistency. It also adds a beautiful dark ruby color to glazed meats or vegetables. I particularly like the Cortas brand which you can find in Middle Eastern markets and gourmet shops. At under $3 for a 10oz bottle, it's a bargain.

I often make country style pork ribs because they are inexpensive, readily available in supermarkets and you can cook them easily in the oven. Boil the ribs for 30 minutes, then coat them with barbecue sauce and bake in a 400 degree oven, for 20 minutes, basting frequently. Almost any barbecue sauce will work, but this one helps cut through the richness of the meat.

Tangy Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 c ketchup
3 T pomegranate molasses
2 T honey
1 clove of garlic
hot sauce to taste (Tabasco or other)

Press the garlic through a garlic press, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add as many drops of hot sauce as you like. Use this sauce on spare ribs, chicken, tempeh, eggplant, or portabello mushrooms. The flavor of the sauce will intensify when it cooks.

Enjoy!

[Grace]

I LOVE the stuff! I swear I think I could drink it straight from the bottle... :o :D

My favorite recipe using it is for a dip called Muhammara. YUM. Here you go (oh, and the recipe calls for 2 tsp. of pomegranate molasses, but I always put WAY more in - more like 2 or 3 Tblsp.):

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Muhammara

SOURCE: CL BB YEAR: October 2000 PAGE:

INGREDIENTS FOR 1 SERVINGS:
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
2/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
toasted pita triangles as an accompaniment

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a food processor, blend together the peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, and red pepper flakes until the mixture is smooth.

With the motor running, add the oil gradually. Transfer the muhammara to a bowl and serve it at room temperature with the pita triangles.

Makes about 1-3/4 cups.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

[JLCS]

You can also add about a tsp to your home made vinegrette. It gives it a kind of sweet/tart thing.

[hAndyman]

Lucky you, Lena-nouncer!
I've used pomegranate molasses in a number of recipes. Like Grace, my favourite dip is Muhammara (aka Muhommorah), though I use the Epicurious version and haven't tried the CL version. I've made salad dressings using it, such as this one:

From http://www.canadianliving.com/cooks/recipes/3091/3091c.asp

Green Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
1 large (or 2 small) pitas, cut into bite-size pieces
1 head Boston lettuce
1 cup sliced cucumber (250 mL)
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans (75 mL)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
1 large pomegranate (about 1 pound/500 g)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (50 mL)
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin (4 mL)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (2 mL)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (1 mL)
1/4 teaspoon salt (1 mL)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (125 mL)

Substitution: Instead of fresh pomegranates, mix 1/4 cup (50 mL) pomegranate molasses with 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water- the only thing you'll miss is the crunch of the seeds.

Preheat oven to 375° (190°C).
Cut pomegranates into quarters; gently squeeze out seeds and juice into bowl, peeling away skin layers if necessary. Strain to separate seeds from juice; reserve seeds and juice. Whisk lemon juice, garlic, cumin, pepper, coriander, and salt into juice, gradually whisk in olive oil. (Make-Ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature and whisk before serving.) Reserving some seeds to sprinkle on top as garnish, stir seeds into vinaigrette. Spread pita on rimmed baking sheet; toast for 8 minutes or until crisp and lightly golden. Let cool. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces. In salad bowl, toss together lettuce, cucumber, pecans and pita pieces. Toss with 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings
Andy's notes: I use pomegranate molasses plus water, and add something bright, like tomatoes or sweet red pepper, for colour (in place of the pomegranate seeds if not in season); other veggies can be added, and I think walnuts can be subbed for the pecans.
*************
This salad is on tomorrow night's menu along with a vegetarian tagine:

Spinach Salad With Pomegranate Dressing and Crispy Won Ton "Croutons"

Croutons:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces won ton wrappers, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:
12 cups torn spinach (about 6 ounces)
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained

Make the "croutons" ahead of time. They make a great snack, so make a double batch and serve some before dinner. Won ton wrappers are found in the refrigerated case of the supermarket, usually in the produce section or next to the tofu. Pomegranate molasses is in Middle Eastern markets, but you can substitute 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. To prepare croutons, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Place won ton strips and vegetable oil in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and toss to coat. Open bag. Sprinkle with cumin mixture; seal and toss to coat. Place won ton strips in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until crisp; turn strips once. Cool.
3. To prepare salad, combine juice, molasses, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine croutons, juice mixture, spinach, onion, and oranges; toss well to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1-1/4 cups).
Note: To disperse the oil over the won ton wrappers, shake them vigorously in a bag. They tend to clump together, but be patient. They will eventually separate.
CALORIES 219 (25% from fat); FAT 6g (sat 0.8g, mono 3.9g, poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 4.2g; CARB 38g; FIBER 2.2g; CHOL 3mg; IRON 2.3mg; SODIUM 485mg; CALC 58mg
*************

Here's a delicious main course recipe for Fesenjan (aka Fesenjam). There are lots of versions for this delicious Persian stew on the net.

From: Manz/NM @Gail's
Here's one for a delicious Persian main dish -
Pomegranate Chicken Pomegranate Stew - Koresh-e Fesenjan (a Persian chicken dish)

This is very easy to prepare. It's nothing like American stews. A better name would be pomegranate chicken.

1 onion - chopped
2-3 T oil
1/2 C pomegranate paste (pomegranate syrup, or p. molasses) or 2 C fresh pomegranate juice
2 C ground walnuts
3 t sugar
some cinnamon to taste (try 1 t)
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t saffron (dissolved in 1 T hot water)
a large fryer chicken (4-5 pounds - cut up) or duck.
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t turmeric

Combine pomegranate paste or juice, ground walnuts, sugar, s& p, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, and saffron. Set aside.
Clean chicken removing unnecessary bones and skin.
Place chopped onion and 3 T oil in a pot and saute 3 minutes. Then add the chicken pieces, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add 1 C of water and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the pomegranate mix and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes longer (check water and add some if it is necessary. Add another fingerful of sugar if you want it sweeter. Transfer to a deep serving pot, cover, and place in a warm oven until ready to serve. Serve with rice.
VARIATION: This stew can be made with meatballs made of ground beef or turkey. Knead one grated onion into one pound of ground meat and shape into meatballs the size of hazelnuts; saute them on all sides in oil and add with onions.
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Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 11:45:22 GMT From: Moyn/FL
ISO: Manz/NM....... Hi! Yesterday, I just happened to have a package of>>>
ground turkey defrosting in the fridge.... and there appeared your recipe for Persian Chicken, which I HAD to read since I love everything with those wonderful pomegranate molasses..... and saw the substitution on the bottom of the recipe. Well, the meatballs were delicious!!! I didn't make them as small as hazelnuts.... more the size of large walnuts and I reduced the amount of cooking liquid, by eliminating the water... thus making the sauce concentrated..I also didn't cook it as long as the recipe stated, since it took only a few minutes for the small meatballs to cook through. I didn't use the entire recipe, since I had only 1-1/4 lb of meat, but the sauce was thick & really tangy. Would be great (using the concentrated sauce method) to make the meatballs the smaller (hazelnut) size & serve in a chafing dish as an hors d'oeuvres.

Andy's notes: I brown, in batches, cubes of boneless chicken breasts and thighs, and remove them to a dish, and then, in the same pan, soften the onions and add the chicken and any juices and a cup of water and cooked on low heat for 1/2 hour. I used about 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses. I like to serve it with Persian Rice with a Golden Crust.

[dlaboriel]

There is a recipe in the June edition of BA on page 110 for grilled chicken that uses pomegranate molasses in a sauce you may want to take a look at.

[jennanne]

I think the absolute best way to use pomegranate molasses is poured over sweet vanilla ice cream. To die for!

Last month I altered an old Cooking Light Molasses cake recipe and turned it into a Pomegranate Molasses and Corriander Cake (http://quinoa.blogspot.com/2005/04/sugar-high-friday-7-molasses.html). It was really good!