Pomegranate Recipes from Joan Nathan

Read about the history of the pomegranate here.

Khoreshteh fesenjan - Sweet and sour chicken, pomegranate and walnut stew
Adapted from The New American Cooking, by Joan Nathan 

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 chicken thighs, with the bone, skin and fat removed
1 pound walnuts, finely chopped in a food processor
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/3 cup pomegranate juice concentrate or syrup
Small pinch of saffron
4 cups water

1. Sauté the onions in the olive oil in a medium pot until light golden brown. Add the chicken, walnuts, salt, lemon juice, sugar, ketchup, pomegranate concentrate, saffron and water. The chicken pieces do not have to be in one layer just as long as they are covered with sauce.
2. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot loosely. Cook for an hour at a slow and constant simmer, stirring occasionally.  Serve over white rice.
Yield:  6 – 8 servings 

Pomegranate, mango and papaya fruit salad with lime
Adapted from The New American Cooking by Joan Nathan 

1 pomegranate 
1 papaya
2 mangoes
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
10 mint leaves (optional)

1. To peel the pomegranate without staining yourself with juice, gently score the outer skin in quarters lenghtwise.  Then place the entire pomegranate in a large bowl filled with water. With your hands under the water, gently pull off the skin and remove the arils (the seeds, with their fleshy covering) which will fall to the bottom.  Drain off the water and discard everything but the arils.  Dab them dry and leave on paper towels until ready to serve.
2. Cut the papaya in half, scoop out the seeds, and reserve them if you like. Score the flesh papaya in long strips lengthwise, and then score the strips in half, not cutting through the skin.  Gently remove the pieces with a spoon.
3. Hold the mango flat, with the stem side in the palm of your hand.  Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise from the stem end down over the pit.  Flip the mango over and carefully cut the second side, again carefully cutting over the pit. Score the fruit into 6 or 7 thin strips, pulling back the peel so the mango pieces fall into a bowl.  Repeat with the second half.
4. Sprinkle the fruit with the lime juice and honey, dot with 1⁄2 cup of the pomegranate seeds.  (If you have more, eat them as a snack.)  Garnish with the papaya seeds and fresh mint, if you like, and serve.
Yield: 6 servings

Mahammar (pepper, pomegranate and walnut dip)
A dapted from The New American Cooking by Joan Nathan  

This full-flavored dip of peppers, pomegranates, and walnuts, as prepared by Syrian native Sakina Shahadi, graces the tables of many Washington dinner parties.  It is a winning combination, one that would never have been made in this country before the food processor. I make this dip year-round, substituting dried cranberries if pomegranates aren’t in season.  I have also seen it lately in restaurants as an accompaniment to roast chicken.

2 red bell peppers, quartered, pith and seeds removed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup walnuts
1⁄2 cup bread crumbs
Dash of ground cayenne pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup
1⁄4 cup fresh pomegranate arils
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1⁄4 cup chopped black Greek-style olives (optional)
Raw cut-up vegetables or toasted pita bread 

1. Put the peppers and the garlic in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse until the peppers are in little pieces.
2. Add the walnuts, bread crumbs, cayenne pepper, and salt and pulse a few times until the walnuts are processed but still have some crunch to them.
3. Stir in the olive oil and pomegranate syrup.   Adjust the seasonings and gently fold in the fresh pomegranate seeds, mint, and olives.  Turn onto a brightly colored serving bowl and serve with cut-up vegetables or toasted pita bread.
Yield: 2 cups

Roast chicken with fennel, garlic and pomegranates
Adapted from The Foods of Israel by Joan Nathan  

One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1⁄2 cup red wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed, plus 2 whole heads garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1⁄2 cup water
4 fennel bulbs, cored and quartered lengthwise
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
5 sprigs fresh oregano or parsley, cut to about 3 inches long

1. Wash the chicken well and pat dry.  Place in a large bowl.
2. To make the marinade, put the vinegar, brown sugar, oil, and 3 cloves of crushed garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and pulse to a coarse paste.
3. Place the chicken pieces in one layer in a flame-proof baking dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them and pour the marinade on top, rubbing it in well. Add the wine and water. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. Drain off most of the marinade from the chicken and reserve.  Scatter the fennel and the remaining whole cloves of garlic around the chicken.
6. Roast the chicken, uncovered, on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees, turn the fennel and bake for 20-25 minutes longer or until the chicken is cooked. Transfer the chicken pieces, fennel and whole pieces of garlic to a serving platter, reserving the pan juices.
7. If your baking dish can go on the stovetop, just add the soy sauce and the reserved marinade to the pan. Or transfer the pan juices to a separate pot with the soy sauce and marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat to reduce.
8. Spoon the sauce over the platter of chicken, fennel, and garlic. Sprinkle with pomegranates and garnish with the fresh oregano or parsley, and serve.
Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Pomegranate Honey
Adapted from A Biblical Feast, Foods from the Holy Land by Kitty Morse

8 cups pomegranate arils, from about 8 large pomegranates

1. Using a food processor equipped with a steel blade, blend the arils.  Strain through a medium mesh sieve set over a bowl.  Strain again though a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the pulp with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible.  Discard the pulp.
2. Pour the juice into a nonreactive saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring the juice to a gently simmer and cook until it is the consistency of molten honey, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator.  The honey will keep for up to 3 months.
Yield:  1⁄2  cup pomegranate honey