Luxurious, tart and sweet, there’s a reason that pomegranate molasses works it’s way into so much of my cooking. I could say it’s chef’s secret but my love for pomegranates is pretty blatant; with my full name Rumaanah, meaning pomegranate in Arabic and this site/ my catering business being named after the supposed “fruit of paradise”.
Living in the french Alps means limited produce, especially when it comes to treats from afar. As much as I sorely miss my Indian and Middle Eastern mini-markets back in the UK, this new way of shopping has forced me to make almost everything from scratch, which feels really good. Pomegranate molasses is one of those store cupboard staples of mine that I now always make from scratch – it’s simple, you can control the consistency and it’s cheaper.
If you’ve yet to cook with pomegranate molasses, you’d be forgiven in thinking that it’s one of those ingredients that you bought on a whim after eating at NOPI, but has been gathering dust at the back of your cupboard ever since. However, once you discover the versatility of pomegranate molasses, it’ll be up there, pride of place with your soy sauces, various oils and condiments.
Marinate meat and fish with it, jazz up salad dressings, caramelise veggies, drizzle on top of sorbet, stir into iced, fizzy water – it really is the Swiss Army knife of ingredients. The flavour profile of this dark, ruby red syrup adds a depth and fragrance to dishes that Middle Eastern food is so synonymous for.
Pomegranate Molasses
Course: Sauces, Oils & DressingsCuisine: Middle EasternDifficulty: Easy15
minutes45
minutesMarinate meat and fish with it, jazz up salad dressings, caramelise veggies, drizzle on top of sorbet, stir into iced, fizzy water – it really is the Swiss Army knife of ingredients.
Ingredients
8 large pomegranates
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- To make the pomegranate juice, de-seed the pomegranates and place the arils in a blender. Pulse just until the arils are broken up. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, leaving the pulp behind.
- Heat the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a large, deep-sided pan until the sugar is dissolve and the liquid is simmering.
- Continue to simmer for around 45 minutes or until the juice has reduced substantially in volume and has a syrupy consistency.
- Pour into and store in a jar and allow to cool before storing in the fridge.
