Author, photographer, food consultant and TV host, Barbara Abdeni Assaad tells us a thing or two about pomegranate molasses
When lemon trees were scarce
in Lebanon and the tangy taste,
which we so much cherish was
demanded, our forefathers
came up with other ways to
find sour and zesty flavors with
different types of fruit. Local
unripe grapes were crushed
and the juice was boiled to a
concentrate to make verjuice,
hoosroom in Arabic. Another
important condiment was made
with sour pomegranate. Juice
was extracted from the seeds
of the fruit, strained and boiled
into thick syrup producing
pomegranate molasses, debs
remman in Arabic. This thick
dark brown liquid is very much
appreciated today in many
households and is also used
in traditional restaurants
throughout the country.
“A spoonful of pomegranate molasses is perfect to flavor meat stuffing for meat crescents.”
The taste of pomegranate
molasses is intensely sour
with a hint of sweetness and
is an indispensable item in our
mouneh, our local traditional
preserves. To make debs remman
is no small task. And do be careful
working with pomegranates, as
the juice will stain your hands
and clothes. Invite the neighbors
and get a huge pot going, as you
need a minimum quantity to get
good results.
A spoonful of pomegranate
molasses is perfect to flavor
meat stuffing for meat crescents.
Cooks use a mixture of lemon
juice and pomegranate molasses
to deglaze favorites such as
mankanek, Lebanese sausages,
chicken liver or birds cooked in
season. The outcome is a sweet
and sour bliss!
The best pomegranate molasses
is thick and sticky. To gauge this,
tilt the bottle. Good molasses
should move slowly and coat the
sides of the bottle. Good-quality
pomegranate molasses will also
be a deep, rich red — so red that
it appears almost brown or even
nearly black. This is because
pomegranate juice naturally
darkens in color as the processor
cooks off its moisture.
POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
Ingredients Makes 1 bottle
10 kg sour pomegranate
40 g ground coarse sea salt
Olive oil
Preparation
Wash the pomegranates
and dry with a kitchen
towel. Trim the crown of the
pomegranate using a sharp
paring knife and then slice
it. If the fruit is juicy, squeeze
the fresh juice out using a
lemon squeezer.
Alternatively, cut the outside
skin around the pomegranate
without touching the arils
and separate the fruit into
5 to 6 wedges. Open the
fruit with your thumb and
scoop the arils into a clean
dish, removing the white
membrane. Blend the arils in
a food processor or blender.
Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with a sterilized
cloth.
Pour the liquid into a nonreactive
pan. Bring the
mixture to a boil, stirring
occasionally. Boil until the
liquid thickens into a paste.
The time of cooking may take
about 2 hours, depending on
the amount of juice extracted
from the fruit.
Thoroughly skim the froth
from the surface. Add the
salt towards the end of the
cooking. Mix thoroughly
until it completely dissolves.
Pour the syrup in a sterilized
bottle. Top with olive oil to
seal. Close the lid of the bottle
tightly making sure the cover
is well secured. Label the
bottle and store in a cool dark
place, if not for immediate
consumption. Keep for a year.
CHICKEN LIVER WITH
POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
Ingredients Serves 3 – 4
½ kg chicken liver
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbps vegetable oil
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Few sprigs finely chopped
coriander or parsley
Preparation
It is important to clean the
liver carefully, removing loose
nerves or blood clots. You can
ask your butcher to do this for
you if you can’t be bothered.
Crush garlic with a little salt
with a mortar and pestle. Add
the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice to the garlic
mixture and set aside. I use
only the best pomegranate
molasses I can find. A friend
whose village cultivates
beautiful pomegranate trees
makes it. Commercial brands
can be of poor quality, so be
wary.
Fry the chicken liver in a skillet
with oil until golden brown.
Don’t overcook, as the pieces
will become rubbery. Add the
crushed garlic mixture and
blend. Season with salt and
pepper to taste. Garnish with
chopped coriander or parsley.
Serve warm