Pomegranates in the fruit bowl - what now?

Each fall I am delighted by the vibrant color of the pomegranates on display in the produce section of the market. I succumbed to their ancient beauty a few days ago, and purchased two. They added their glistening jewel tones to the fall leaves and dried corn cobs that graced our Thanksgiving table. “Help yourself,” I told our guests. “Please enjoy eating them, that’s what they’re for.” But no one took advantage of the offer, and the lovely pomegranates languished in our post-holiday fruit basket. That got me to wondering what fun things I could do with them before they were neglected too long and ended up in our green barrel as compost.

Fall fruit basket with pomegranates.

Mentioned in ancient literature, the name pomegranate is derived from the French words “pomme garnete” or seeded apple. Pomegranates grow on small trees or bushes and were introduced to California agriculture nearly 250 years ago. California acreage planted with pomegranates has doubled in the past five years, with most of the harvested fruit going to make juice concentrates, primarily utilized for their purported antioxidant and other health benefits.

I was surprised by the numerous recipes utilizing the tart-sweet arils from pomegranates, along with handy tips about the best way to part them from the pomegranate’s husk and membranes. Following is a recipe that allowed us a few arils to snack on, and used the rest of the pomegranates in a delicious and delightful new way to enjoy salmon.

Salmon with Pomegranate and Lentil Couscous (from the Pomegranate Council’s website)

Couscous:
1 c. small green Puy lentils
2 c. cold water
2 Tb. Olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and cubed
1 2/3 c. (10 oz.) quick-cooking couscous
2 c. boiling water
1 large pomegranate, seeded
1 Tb. coarsely chopped fresh lemon thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:
6, 6-oz. salmon fillets
Olive oil for frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish
Pomegranate arils, for garnish

Lentil & couscous preparation: Pick through lentils and discard any debris, then rinse well with cold water.  In large saucepan, combine water and lentils, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Drain, set aside.  In medium frying pan heat the oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.  Add the apple and cook until it begins to soften.  Sprinkle the pomegranate arils and couscous over the onion-apple mixture, then carefully add the boiling water.  Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand while you prepare the salmon.  Add herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Salmon preparation: Heat a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.  Brush salmon fillets with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Place skin side down in the hot pan.  Cook, without disturbing, until the skin is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.  Turn the fillets over and continue cooking just until done, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve over pomegranate couscous.   On the serving tray, layer lentils and couscous, then top with salmon. Garnish with additional pomegranate arils and thyme.

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