Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Lollipops With Feta Tzatziki Food

PULLED LAMB SHOULDER WITH STICKY POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Put the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, oregano and lemon in a blender with 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper. Blend until smooth. Put the lamb in a large roasting tin and tip the marinade over the top. Massage all over the lamb and leave for 24 hrs in the fridge, or up to 2 days.
• Remove lamb from the fridge 1 hr before cooking. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Scatter the onions around the lamb, tucking some underneath, then pour over the pomegranate juice. Cover the lamb with foil and cook for 4 hrs.
• Remove the foil, carefully pour the meaty pomegranate juices from the tin into a large saucepan and add the honey. Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7, re-cover the lamb and continue cooking for 30 mins. Meanwhile, bubble the cooking liquid over a high heat until reduced, thick and syrupy - this may take up to 30 mins.
• Pour the sticky pomegranate glaze over the lamb and onions and return to the oven for another 30 mins, uncovered, until the glaze is bubbling and just starting to char, and the lamb is really tender. Mix the yogurt, most of the pomegranate seeds and mint leaves in a small bowl. Shred the lamb at the table and serve with the sticky onions and the minty pomegranate yogurt. Scatter over the remaining pomegranate seeds.

LAMB AND FETA SLIDERS WITH MINT AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to indirect heat, low setting, approximately 325 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, add the lamb, garlic, red onion and feta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Form the mixture into 16 small patties (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 1/4-inch thick). Use your index finger to press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to grill.
• In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses and soy sauce.
• Oil a paper towel with the canola oil and wipe down the grill grates several times to well coat with the oil. Immediately place the patties on the grill (dimple-side down) and cook for 8 minutes. Turn over, baste the tops with the balsamic mixture and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more (or to 130 degrees F for medium rare and 140 degrees F for medium).
• Remove from the grill and place on the Hawaiian sweet rolls or potato rolls. Add 2 slices of cucumber and a teaspoon of the Mint Aioli. Serve garnished with mint leaves.
• Mince the garlic, and then sprinkle the salt on top, and continue to mince and smash the salt into the garlic to form a paste. In a small bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, blend the yolks, garlic paste, lemon juice and mustard powder. Slowly add the olive oil to the yolk mixture in a very slow steady stream until the mixture is emulsified. Add the fresh mint and pepper and pulse until incorporated. Refrigerate.

HOMEMADE POMEGRANATE-LIME LOLLIPOPS

Steps:

• Fill a half sheet pan with an even 1/2-inch-deep layer of the powdered sugar. Press the back of a mold or shape of your choice (like a tablespoon measuring spoon) firmly into the sugar to create an impression as the mold for your lollipops The impression should be at least 1/4-inch deep. Make sure none of the sheet tray shows through the sugar in your mold, otherwise the lollipops will stick to it. Place a lollipop stick with 1/4-inch of the stick inside the impression. Make a dam with the powdered sugar to close the opening in the mold that the stick made, so no sugar syrup can escape. Repeat the process to make 4 rows of 3 molds each.
• Reduce the pomegranate juice in a small saucepot over high heat until it's thick and syrupy and there are about 2 tablespoons left, 2 to 3 minutes. (You will only use half of this, but reducing further will not allow for enough liquid enough to pour.)
• Combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Heat until a candy thermometer reads 300 degrees F, 10 to 12 minutes (it will just start to caramelize). Remove from the heat and carefully add 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate juice and the lime zest with a heatproof rubber spatula. Carefully transfer the candy mixture to a liquid measuring cup.
• Working carefully but swiftly, pour the mixture into the lollipop molds. Allow the candy to cool and harden at room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes. You may dust off any residual powdered sugar with a pastry brush, but it's not necessary. I love that one side is glossy and one side is coated in sugar, it lends itself to the artisanal nature of the pop.

POMEGRANATE LAMB

Steps:

• Rub the lamb chops with the salt, pepper and rosemary leaves evenly. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in non-reactive dish. Add the chops and turn over in the mixture a few times. Cover and refrigerate up to four hours ahead of time.;
• Pomegranate Au jus: Heat a medium sized saucepan on medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil. When the butter melts add the shallots and garlic. Allow to cook until lightly cooked, (about 3 minutes), stirring frequently so that the garlic doesn't burn. Now add the pomegranate juice and vinegar. Reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce, skimming as necessary until the sauce will coat the back of a spoon, (about 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and strain the sauce through a fine meshed strainer. Reserve in a small saucepan while you cook the chops.
• Heat a grill or grill pan to fairly high heat.
• Remove the lamb from the marinade and reason them with a touch of salt and pepper. Grill about four minutes on each side.
• Reheat the pomegranate Au jus. When is it just under a boil, whisk in the remaining butter. Divide the sauce between the four plates and center the chops on the sauce. Serve.

LAMB BRAISED IN POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Generously season lamb chops with salt and black pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Place lamb chops in Dutch oven and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a plate and reduce heat to medium.
• Stir onion and a pinch of salt into the Dutch oven; cook until onions are slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Pour pomegranate juice into the Dutch oven and scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Pour in balsamic vinegar, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.
• Stir rosemary, mint leaves, and red pepper flakes into pomegranate juice mixture. Continue to boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to Dutch oven, spoon pomegranate mixture over lamb, and cover.
• Cook in the preheated oven until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. Transfer lamb to a plate and set Dutch oven on the stovetop over high heat. Bring pomegranate mixture to a boil; cook, skimming any fat that accumulates, until liquid is reduced by 1/3, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in honey and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Return lamb to the Dutch oven; stir to combine. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, sliced mint leaves, and pumpkin seeds.

SLOW-ROAST PERSIAN LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Scatter the onion over a casserole dish or a deep roasting tin. Place the lamb on top of the onions. Pour the glaze over the lamb. Rinse the bowl out with about 200ml water, then pour it around - not over - the lamb.
• Cover the dish with a lid or the tin with a large piece of foil. Roast the lamb, undisturbed, for 3 hrs, then remove the lid or foil and continue to roast for 30 mins to give the lamb colour. When the lamb has had its time, pour off the juices, remove as much fat as possible, then pour the juices back over the lamb.
• Just before serving, gently toss all the salad ingredients together. Serve the lamb with its sauce, the salad and some warmed flatbreads.

SPICED LAMB SKEWERS WITH POMEGRANATE TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Mix the lamb with the cumin, coriander, garam masala and cinnamon. For the tzatziki, mix the Greek yogurt, shallot, garlic, mint, cucumber and honey. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Cook the lamb under a hot grill for 8 mins, turning halfway. Thread each piece onto a cocktail stick. serve with tzatziki.