Goomba38 > wrote:

> Lately the commissary has had small interesting
> looking bottles of fresh pomegranate juice in the
> produce section. And I just saw them again at
> Zabar's. Is this something new? Any idea what to
> do with it?

It's not new at all. In America, I've seen Knudsen's pomegranate juice
at a few places in Texas and, in Manhattan, at Agata & Valentina.

In the Caucasian countries, Azerbaijan and Persia, it is very widely
used for marinating meat and for sauces to be served with both fish and
meat, especially the concentrated, unsweetened form which is called
narsharab. You can of course concentrate (reduce) the juice easily
yourself.

Here is a recipe for Azerbaijani meatballs in pomegranate sauce, which
calls for unconcentrated pomegranate juice. It is from _Please to the
Table_ by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman. The rice preparation is a
bit over the top, if you ask me...

Victor

Fesinjan Kyufta

MEATBALLS
3/4 pound lean ground sirloin
1/2 pound lean ground shoulder or leg or lamb
1 medium-size onion, grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
1/2 cup unflavoured fine, dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon dried mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

SAUCE
1/3 cup lamb stock or beef stock, or canned beef broth
1 1/2 cups fresh or bottled pomegranate juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Basic Steamed Saffron Rice with a Crust (see below)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves for garnish
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

1. Combine the ground meats, onion, egg, ice water, bread crumbs,
spices, mint, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly,
cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. Shape the chilled meat mixture into meatballs the size of an
apricot. Spread the flour on a plate and roll the meatballs lightly in
it.

3. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the
meatballs and cook until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove
to a plate and set aside.

4. Pour the stock and the pomegranate juice into the skillet and turn
the heat up to high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon
and let the liquid boil for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt
and pepper, then add the browned meatballs and the pomegranate seeds.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Place the Basic Steamed Saffron Rice on a platter and arrange the
meatballs around the sides or heaped on top of the rice; or serve them
in a separate dish. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped mint.

Serves 4 to 6


Basic Steamed Saffron Rice with an Egg Crust
(Pilaf with Jumurtali Kazmag)
Azerbaijan Plovi

2 1/2 cups basmati rice
Salt
Egg Crust (se below)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, or more as needed, melted
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed in a mortar
Pomegranate seeds, candied fruit, or fresh mint leaves for garnish

1. Place the rice in a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold
running water to remove as much starch as possible. Place the rice in a
large bowl and add enough lukewarm water to cove it by 1 inch. Add
about 1 teaspoon salt and let the rice soak for 1 hour. Drain the rice
and rinse well under cold running water.

2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and let boil for
about 2 minutes. Add salt. Pour in the rice in a thin, steady stream.
Let boil, uncovered, stirring once or twice, 7 to 8 minutes. The rice
should be almost cooked but still slightly hard to the bite. Drain the
rice thoroughly and rinse under cold running water. Drain again.

3. Mix 4 tablespoons of the butter and the 1/4 cup water and pour it
into a large, flat-bottomed, heatproof casserole with a tight-fitting
lid. Spread the butter mixture evenly on the bottom of the casserole.
Place the crust in the casserole, making sure it covers the bottom
completely. Heat the casserole over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place
half the rice in the casserole, sprinkle with another 4 tablespoons of
the butter, top with the remaining rice, and sprinkle with another 4
tablespoons of the butter. Gather the rice into a mound and make 6 to 7
holes with the handle of a wooden spoon. Wrap the casserole lid in a
linen or cotton (not terry cloth) kitchen towel to absorb the steam
during cooking. Tie the ends together over the top. Cover the
casserole tightly, making sure that no steam can escape during cooking.
Reduce the heat to very low and steam the rice, stirring once or twice,
until tender, 40 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, stir the saffron into the remaining 4 tablespoons
of butter and let stand for 5 minutes.

5. Remove the rice from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
Place 1 cup of the rice in the bowl with the saffron butter and toss
until bright yellow.

6. Arrange the rest of the rice on a decorative serving platter.
Remove the crust with a metal spatula. Break it into pieces and scatter
them, along with the saffron rice, over the white rice. Decorate, if
desired, with pomegranate seeds, candied fruit, or mint leaves.

Serves 6


Egg Crust
Jumurtali Kazmag

4 large eggs
1 cup precooked Basic Steamed Saffron Rice with a Crust (see above,
through step 2)

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and mix with the rice. Spread the mixture
evenly over the butter on the bottom of the casserole (step 3 above).
Proceed with the remainder of the basic steamed rice recipe.