Pomegranate Marinated Lamb Food

CHEF JOHN'S ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Stir 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses, garlic, rosemary, kosher salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, mint, and cumin together in a bowl.
• Arrange the butterflied leg of lamb onto a work surface with the fatty side facing down. Cut 2 deep slashes in each of the the fleshy ends of the meat. Flip the lamb and cut 10 to 20 shallow slashes across the surface of the fat.
• Spread 3/4 the pomegranate molasses mixture onto the meat-side of the lamb to coat completely. Fold meat together and turn into a large bowl. Spread remaining pomegranate mixture over the fatty side of the meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a roasting rack in the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Remove lamb from marinade and discard excess marinade. Gather roast and place onto a work surface with fatty side facing upwards. Tie the center section of the roast with kitchen twine to cinch the roast together. Repeat ties four times along the length of the roast.
• Season roast with salt and transfer to prepared roasting pan. Pour water below the rack to cover the bottom of the pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until hot and slightly pink in the center, about 1 3/4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Rest for 15 minutes, transfer to a plate, and brush with remaining pomegranate molasses.

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.

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.

POMEGRANATE GLAZED LAMB LOLLIPOPS WITH FETA TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Whisk the pomegranate juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add the sugar, honey and mustard and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until thickened to the consistency of barbecue sauce, 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste. Let cool for 30 minutes. The glaze can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Place the lamb chops in a large zipper-top bag. Pour half of the glaze into the bag and let the lamb marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Reserve the remaining glaze to coat the lamb chops on the grill.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and liberally oil the grates.
• Take the chops out of the bag and place them on a paper towel-lined tray or plate to wipe off any excess marinade to ensure a nice crust. Season the chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chops on the grill until charred in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, baste liberally with the glaze and grill for another 3 or 4 minutes or until the internal temperature hits 135 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
• Baste the chops with the glaze again, then remove them from the grill. Coat one side in the chopped pistachios for an added crunch. Serve with a nice schmear of the feta tzatziki and garnish with some fresh mint.
• Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater and place in a fine-mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth fitted over a bowl. Salt the cucumber and let sit for 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess moisture. Put the strained cucumber into a bowl. Add the yogurt, feta, lemon juice, mint, honey and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

POMEGRANATE LAMB MARINADE

Steps:

• Mix olive oil, pomegranate syrup, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary together in a bowl until well combined.

LAMB CHOPS WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE AND SAFFRON PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and arrange the oven rack 8 inches from the broiler.
• Heat a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt, then add the orzo and stir. Toast the pasta until golden brown, 3 minutes, then add the rice and stir to combine. Add the saffron threads and stir in the stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook the rice until tender, about 15 to 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll the pomegranate on the counter while applying pressure for a minute. Hold the pomegranate over a small pot and cut into it with a small sharp knife; the juice will come rushing out. Squeeze the pomegranate until 3/4 to 1 cup of juice is produced. Stir in the wine, Worcestershire, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half, about 6 minutes. Pour a little sauce into a small bowl, stir in the cornstarch, and then pour the mixture into the sauce. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove and discard the peppercorns, whole cloves and the bay leaf.
• Arrange the chops on a broiler pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, or only 1 minute on each side for pink centers.
• When the chops go into the broiler, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes, then add the spinach and let it wilt. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste.
• Arrange 3 chops on each serving plate. Drizzle with pomegranate sauce, and serve the saffron pilaf and wilted spinach alongside.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to 375 degrees F.
• Unroll the lamb and brush on all sides with the molasses. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Roll the lamb up and secure with butchers' twine. Place the lamb over indirect heat and cook for 15 minutes, brush with the molasses again. Turn 1/4 turn and cook for another 15 minutes. Complete the brushing and turning procedure 2 more times for a total cooking time of approximately 1 hour or until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F. Remove from the heat and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with additional molasses if desired.
• For Syrup: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, approximately 50 minutes. It should be the consistency of syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
• For Molasses: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups syrup or 1 cup molasses
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 to 70 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes

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.

POMEGRANATE MARINATED LAMB

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together the first 5 ingredients (molasses - cinnamon) plus 1 3/4 teaspoon cumin, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add lamb and toss. Cover and marinated for 2 hours at room temperature or up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Drain, reserving the marinade. Pat dry.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add meat and bones (if using) and cook for 2-5 minutes, or until browned. You may need to cook lamb in batches.
• Return all the lamb and bones to the skillet along with the reserved marinade and 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile in a saucepan bring remaining water (1 cup) and chicken broth to a boil over medium high heat. Add couscous and remaining cumin (1/4 teaspoon). Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in butter.
• Divide couscous among plates and top with lamb, pomegranate seeds and basil leaves, spooning remaining sauce over lamb.

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS IN POMEGRANATE MARINATED

Steps:

• Rub the rack of lamb with the salt, pepper, and rosemary leaves.
• Combine the molasses, garlic, shallot and oil in a zip lock storage bag add the lamb chops, turning over a few times to coat thoroughly.
• Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.
• Preheat the grill.
• Remove the lamb chops from the marinade.
• Grill for 4 minutes per side for rare, or 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare.