Witchy Kitchen

Tag: pomegranate

  • Pomegranate and Orange Sangria

    Pomegranate and Orange Sangria

    I watched Gaspar Noe’s 2018 psychological horror Climax alone in the dark, and while I loved it, declared that I never need to see it again. The raw intensity was just too much, and (small spoiler), anything involving harm to children I find extremely hard to watch. However, it stuck with me, and the following week I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and so ended up showing it to my husband so I could discuss all the feelings I had bubbling up, and maybe also lighten the torment.

    The film is light on plot but heavy on style and the complexities of relationships and trust. It takes place in the mid 90s and focuses on a newly formed troupe of French dancers from diverse backgrounds about to embark on a tour to America. Their bon voyage party turns frightening as they are unwittingly drugged with LSD-laced sangria, and their confusion and mistrust create horrific consequences. And we feel every bit of it, winding through a terrifying wonderland of rooms in an empty school, bright lights and writhing bodies.

    There is an extended dance sequence at the beginning which is nothing short of exuberant, and is heartbreaking to reflect upon considering the events that happen afterwards. The actors are for the most part dancers with little film experience, so their performances have a natural feel that is sometimes lost in seasoned actors. While the film is minimally scripted, the dance is well planned and there is a good bit of foreshadowing in it, I noticed. I mean, while the movie is difficult to watch, the dance is delightful and I’ve revisited countless times; I watch it whenever I’m having a bad day.

    So of course it goes without saying, the recipe for this film was definitely going to be a sangria. But like the dancers, sangria comes in countless versions and flavors and feels, from delicate and sparkling to dark and deep. So I took inspiration from Selva, the troupe’s choreographer. While it is definitely an ensemble film, she emerges quickly as the protagonist, in her yellow dress (everyone else is dressed in blacks and reds), and it’s her tumultuous journey we are mostly along for over the course of the night.

    The actress who plays her, Sofia Boutella, is one of the few actors with prior acting experience, and she is particularly mesmerizing in this role. She comes from an Algerian background, so that’s what I chose as this sangria’s flavor profile. I use pomegranate juice whenever I get the chance, but there’s also apricot and orange and some delicate cinnamon and cardamom.

    The whole thing is lightened up with a sparkling orange drink. I wanted to find Orangina, the French-Algerian classic, which we sold at the upscale deli where I had my first job. It’s harder to find nowadays, at least where I live – you can order it on Amazon but apparently in March they started to distribute it more widely here North America so maybe it will be popping up soon. But this isn’t fussy, sangria is really more of an art than a science, so you can use any brand (I used San Pellegrino blood orange flavor).

    Sparkling Orange and Pomegranate Sangria

    • 8 ounces pomegranate juice
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 2 cardamom pods
    • 3 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 bottle mid-bodied inexpensive red wine
    • 1/2 cup apricot brandy
    • 1 orange, sliced
    • 1/2 a pomegranate’s seeds
    • Sparkling orange juice to top

    Ideally start this the day before you plan to serve so the flavors have a chance to marry.

    In a small sauce pan, bring pomegranate juice, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and sugar to a simmer. Simmer until pomegranate juice is reduced by about half. Remove from heat and cool completely.

    Strain into a pitcher, and mix with red wine, apricot brandy, orange slices and pomegranate seeds. Chill thoroughly, ideally overnight. Serve over ice, topped with sparkling orange juice and garnished with more orange slices and pomegranate seeds.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Patatas Bravas

    Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Patatas Bravas

    This month’s Food ‘n Flix movie, hosted by Katharina at Pretty Cake Machine, is both one of my favorite films of all time as well as somewhat eerily timed. Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark, dreamy fairytale layered over a bleak period of fascism. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful, an invitation to retreat into fantasy when the world becomes too cruel, but also a reminder to return to reality and fight for those weaker than us, no matter the cost.

    My dish is a version of the Spanish classic Patatas Bravas, inspired by the potatoes we see the servant Mercedes slicing multiple times in the movie (and the subsequent cleaning of Chekhov’s knife on her skirt). Instead of the traditional tomato sauce, I made a spicy red pepper sauce, as we see red peppers at one point during the film. A small shadow of the fantasy world makes it’s way into the dish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses from the iconic Pale Man’s feast.

    Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Patatas Bravas

    For the potatoes

    • 1.5 pounds potatoes (I used red), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
    • olive oil and sea salt for roasting

    Heat oven to 400° and place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and sea salt and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning every 10, until potatoes are golden and easily pierced with a fork. You can turn off the oven and leave them inside to warm while you finish the sauce. When ready, move to a dish.

    For the spicy red pepper sauce

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne
    • 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
    • 1/4 cup white wine
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 2 red peppers, roasted (broil, turning, until blackened, cover in a bowl to steam, then peel and deseed)

    Meanwhile, heat olive oil on medium high and saute onion until translucent. Add chopped garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add salt, paprika, ground coriander, cayenne, and almonds, and cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant and almonds are slightly toasted. Add white wine and cook until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and puree with the water and the red peppers. Return to heat and gently heat through.

    Pour over warm potatoes.

    For the garnish

    • pomegranate molasses (storebought, or made by reducing pomegranate juice to about 1/3 of the beginning volume)
    • mayonnaise
    • chopped parsley

    Drizzle pomegranate molasses and mayonnaise over potatoes, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot.

    Previous Pan’s Labyrinth-inspired dish: Sugared Grapes

    Also, you can hear me and my cohost Diana discuss Pan’s Labyrinth at length on our podcast, Fiction Kitchen.

  • Salmon with Pomegranate and Sultana Sauce

    Salmon with Pomegranate and Sultana Sauce

    I am happy to participate in another month of Mena Cooking Club, this month Iraq hosted by Maryam of Maryam’s Culinary Wonders – (she has an impressive recipe index, I’ve bookmarked quite a few to try).

    I jumped on this suggested recipe for two reasons, 1. I need more fish in my life and 2. POMEGRANATE, which I both love, and had some homemade pomegranate syrup (just reduced pomegranate juice, you can also buy it at Middle Eastern markets) leftover from Thanksgiving that I was looking to use. I was a little apprehensive of the sauce, which contains 1/2 cup of raisins along with the spicy and savory ingredients. I personally like raisins but was almost sure my husband would hate them, but to my surprise he really enjoyed the spicy sweet sauce and this dish was a hit.

    I’d definitely make this again, although I would probably either pan-sear the salmon or get it closer to the broiler (it wasn’t hot enough where I had it and I missed that crispiness). Also I’d plate it on top of the sauce but that’s a minor thing. The sauce that I was scared about I’d keep exactly as is.

    The rice was lovely and fragrant – cardamom is my most favorite spice.

    Salmon with Pomegranate Sauce, with Yellow Rice

    Adapted from The Boston Globe

    For the Yellow Rice

    • 2 cups rice
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 5 cardamom pods
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 3 1/2 cups hot water (note, my rice came just a little soggy, so I may reduce to 3 1/4)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    Rinse the rice well and soak for at least half an hour. In a pot over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Stir in the rice, hot water, and salt. Raise the heat to high and boil the rice until visible moisture is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to low, and simmer rice, covered, for 20 minutes. Turn the rice gently with a wooden spoon 2 to 3 times while simmering to allow it to fluff.

    For the Pomegranate Sultana Sauce

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 2 medium onions, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 1/2 a poblano pepper, chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
    • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/4 teaspoon red chili
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup
    • 1/2 cup sultanas/golden raisins
    • 1/4 cup water

    Heat oil in a pan (I used a nonstick wok), and saute onions with a pinch of salt until very soft and golden. Add garlic and chopped pepper and saute for a few minutes, then add spices (cumin, turmeric, red chili, ground coriander) and stir for a minute. Add tomatoes and another good pinch of salt and saute until tomatoes are completely broken down and almost jammy. Stir in pomegranate syrup, raisins, and 1/4 cup water, and cook for a few minutes until thick. Reserve warm.

    For the Salmon

    • 1 tablespoon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 2 pounds skinless fillet of salmon, divided into 4 portions
    • olive oil
    • Coarse salt, for sprinkling
    • 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds or chopped pistachios, for garnish

    Turn on the broiler. Line a flat baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease with olive oil. Arrange the fish pieces on the pan, leaving space between them.

    Combine mustard, honey, and a tablespoon of olive oil, and brush the fish with the mixture. Sprinkle with salt. Broil 3-5 minutes each side until fish is lightly cooked through and surface is crisp and golden (like I said, mine wasn’t close enough to broiler, so will make sure to do this next time).

    Spread the warm sauce on a platter and arrange this fish on top. Garnish with almonds or pistachios, and serve with the yellow rice.

  • Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts

    Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts

    pomegranate-brussel-sprouts

    First, a word on the humble brussel sprout. People used to give them such a hard time. As a child, even though I had never even eaten one, I osmosed the attitude that they were gross and to be avoided. But even the first time I had them (defrosted and steamed), they weren’t nearly as bad as people claimed.

    Nowadays I feel like they are universally more appreciated. When shredded they make a substantial salad that won’t immediately wilt when dressed, and when roasted (as they are here) they take on a pleasant nutty flavor. Plus they are so cute! When I made them a few months ago, my mother-in-law called them bund gobi ke bacche – baby cabbages! Adorable!

    Of course, as nice as brussel sprouts are, let’s be honest, what takes this from mundane to magical is the gorgeous, jeweled and otherworldly pomegranate.

    Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts

    Slightly adapted from The New York Times

    • 1 lb brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved
    • 2 tbsp olive oi
    • sea salt
    • 1 cup pomegranate juice
    • 2 tbsp brown sugar
    • 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds

    Toss the brussel sprouts with olive oil and sea salt, and roast at 425° for 30-35 minutes, turning once or twice, until lightly browned and crispy.

    Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium head, combine pomegranate juice and sugar, and reduce to a medium-thick syrup.

    When brussel sprouts are done, serve drizzled with several tbsp’s of the pomegranate reduction (save the rest for salad dressings), and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

    Happy Belated Thanksgiving, Canada! I should have posted this yesterday. Oh well, still plenty of time for American Thanksgiving, for which this would also be perfect!

  • Persephone Salad

    I am often put in charge of salad. I guess salad is a girly thing to make so I get it by default, but maybe it’s also because I can be artful in diving into the depths of the produce drawer and pantry and emerging with interesting salad ingredients and the means for a homemade vinaigrette.

    As green salads are just as much about texture as they are about flavor, here is the formula: something fresh (possibly fruity!), something creamy, something crunchy. And this salad fits perfectly.

    This particular salad concept is based on this Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette. I made it a couple years ago for Thanksgiving, and I’ve made variations on it ever since – including for Thanksgiving this year, and now for my daughter Zoeya’s holiday potluck.

    The ingredients are very autumnal, but the pomegranate seeds like little ruby jewels look gorgeously Christmassy as well. This is not so much a recipe as a concept with lots of options (and I’m not going to be fussy with amounts). The only absolutely essential ingredient are the pomegranate seeds, which is what makes this so lovely and appropriate for the dark months.

    Persephone Salad

    For the salad:
    greens, such as arugula, mesclun, spinach
    a green apple or pear
    seeds from half a pomegranate
    blue cheese or goat cheese
    walnuts, almonds, pecans, or pumpkin seeds (I used pumpkin seeds in this latest rendition, it’s a great options if you’re serving to people with nut allergies)

    For the vinaigrette:
    pomegranate molasses (instructions below) – this is your best option, but if you don’t have it you can use honey or jam or jelly. Maybe like that yummy lingonberry stuff they have at IKEA.
    sherry or balsamic vinegar
    olive oil or walnut oil
    salt & pepper
    a thinly sliced shallot, pickled in the vinegar, is nice

    To make pomegranate molasses, take a small bottle of pomegranate juice and heat it slowly in a saucepan, stirring, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Be careful not to burn.

    To assemble everything, just toss the greens and the apple or pear with some of the vinaigrette (enough to lightly coat, not to drench). Sprinkle all the rest of the ingredients on top, along with another drizzle of vinaigrette.