Cultivated for thousands of years, the pomegranate fruit has the wind in its sails in Europe for its rich antioxidant content in hundreds of colour vermilion seeds that blend perfectly for creamy preparations. At ‘le Calabash’ we are presently working on three recipes using Pomegranate or Grenadine Syrup to add into and share with our ‘Culinary Adventurers’ here in The Loire Valley France in 2015, including Alison’s Grenadine Macaron.
Origin
Originally from Asia but cultivated in many tropical countries, the pomegranate also grows in the south of France. Appreciated in the past by the great travelers for its storage capacity, the pomegranate was best known for its refreshing virtues of juicy and pulpy flesh that imprisons small seeds called arils.
Use
The seeds are used fresh; you shouldn’t in any case try to cook them. Besides the fruity tartness they bring to creamy desserts, seeds, by their color and texture, enhance and give the dish added texture. As for the pomegranate juice, it can be used to make sorbets, coulis or as a basis for a marinade of pineapple or mango.
Culinary Ideas
If you like tangy and colour to brighten up your winter desserts, then bet on the pomegranate. It is delicious with an exotic fruit salad after a dinner party, or to give pep to a good rice pudding in sauce to accompany a sponge cake or sorbet with roasted pineapple. My favorite is a Panna Cotta or a vanilla Tiramisu generously topped with red beans in the center and on top.. Smooth and crisp at the same time, a great explosion in your mouth! Favor it raw because it loses much of its goodness when cooked, just remove the seeds. To do this, remove the top of the fruit, then the white cone, then cut into quarters and drop the seeds on a plate or, better, in water to use as they are. Be careful not to stain yourself!