Pomegranate Molasses - what do you do with it?

I too have pomegranate molasses languishing in my cabinet. Do you have a recipe?

I think it would make an excellent old fashioned riff with bourbon too - like a muddled luxardo cherry instead of a sugar cube.

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Ohhh, hell, that sounds perfect!

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Good idea. I bet it would be good in a Margarita too.

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“My kids” just arrived from Turkey with this “acuka” . No pomegranate molasses but much in common with Muhammara.

"The original version of acuka is said to be from Syria and there are also variations such as muhummara in the Middle-East and adjik or adjika in Georgia and Russia. Some versions are spicy, some versions are not, some contain tomato as a main ingredients, others have a focus more the red pepper ingredient.

The key to success in making it is to get a really good sun-dried paprika paste…"

Also this one, which DIL calls “Absinnian Salt”; similar ingredients she says, but mostly salt.

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Ooh! Love the goodies!

I made Adjika from the cookbook Kachka a while back - really good with a bitter note from fenugreek. I haven’t come across the bitter in turkish cooking, it’s interesting that it’s a home sauce there too.

Re Abyssinian spice - is it their term for berbere?

ETA: I’m intrigued by the adjika/acuka origin story now. Nothing similar in Musa Dagdeviren’s tome. Thanks for the rabbit hole… should be fun

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I love a good rabbit hole!

She says it’s “Abysinnian SALT” and its REALLY salty. I love berbere, and it doesn’t remind me of that. Can’t find much about it on the webz.

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Since this has now become a thread of it’s own, and you guys keep posting in this thread I can no longer resist.

(one of my fathers frequently told jokes when I was a child)

Daddy mole, momma mole and their two children (moles) were walking out of their hole in the ground as the first baby mole leading the way pauses and says: " I think I smell pancakes"

Second child following the first says: " Yeah I smell I smell it too, pancakes and syrup"

The momma mole next in line takes a few steps further exclaims!: " Yes!! Pancakes syrup and butter"!!!

The poppa mole bringing up the rear of the line with his head down, plowing forward says: “All I smell is Mole-asses”

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NOW I understand where you get it from!! lol!

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So many wonderful suggestions here.

How about:

Pumpkin (or butternut) spread/hummus

Israeli pomegranate chicken (which reminds me a lot of a Georgian braised chicken dish)

Tomato and walnut salad with pomegranate molasses and sumac dressing (from Persiana)

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Nothing specific - I usually just add a splash to a gin and soda (which I prefer to gin and tonic, as I find most tonic water overwhelmingly sweet). Sometimes with a splash of elderflower liqueur as well if I want a tiny bit more sweetness. Or use it instead of Chambord in a French mimosa!

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Thanks, I was thinking of a splash in a G&T. I don’t like soda, I like Fever tree tonics, I find them less sweet. With the tartness I might try some in a Negroni.

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Sweeten some mascarpone with honey or whatever strikes your fancy. Put a small scoop of it atop peeled, seedless orange slices fanned on a dessert plate. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Refreshing dessert, especially for a brunch.

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Go to your room.

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I just used it to intensify the sweet/sour in broth to braise cabbage rolls.

Using it in vinaigrette also sounds like a marvelous idea, I will try it.

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I make “Chicken Pomegranate” using a recipe by La Mediterranee restaurant in San Francisco.

The chicken marinates overnight and then you bake it in the marinade.

After baking, the cooked marinade turns into a kind of sauce - I save that and use it as a glaze over roasted branzino.

The recipe was published on ABC7 news, but I think there was a typo (lemon juice listed twice).

Here’s my modified version:

Chicken Pomegranate:
12 drumsticks (about 3 lbs) [Note: I prefer using a butterflied 3 lb chicken and I halve the liquids]

8 oz La Med pomegranate marinade:
Yield: 12 oz pomegranate marinade for 10-12 drumsticks

  • 4 oz pomegranate molasses
  • 4 oz lemon juice
  • 4 oz olive/canola oil
  • 1 tsp. sumac
  • Pinch oregano
  • Pinch thyme
  • Pinch basil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup water or white wine

Marinate the above in 1 gallon ziploc bag overnight

Arrange drumsticks in 3 inch pan

Pour remaining marinade over drumsticks and bake uncovered at 300-325 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until tender.

Source: https://abc7news.com/archive/6847212/

PS: Use fresh pomegranate as a garnish

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It’s a regular ingredient in several Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern dishes that I cook. But a splash or two into the gravy with roast beef or lamb adds a little twang to it.

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Thanks for the pomegranate marinade recipe. It gets my interest because I usually have all the ingredients that go into the marinade. :grinning:

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I think I saw someone on Food Network adding it to roasted brussel sprouts.

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I’m ALL over this - would be great for chicken wings as well! Thanks for the recipe!

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