NOT many people know this, but when the chill onset of winter comes upon us we can lay the blame for the change in the weather on both the pomegranate and the Greek goddess Persephone.
It was she who, after being abducted by Hades, swallowed six seeds of the pomegranate, thereby condemning us to the bitterness of winter for six months, followed thankfully by with the sweetness of spring.
Some scholars are even convinced that the so called ‘fateful’ apple taken by Eve from the tree of knowledge was actually a pomegranate – at least it ties in perfectly with the Persephone legend.
The pom is a fruit which has always rated highly as a health and fertility provider, with many still believing that it holds profound and mystical healing properties. It’s a view that echoes with scientists, who have concluded that pomegranate juice holds more polyphenol anti oxidants than any other drink – more than red wine, green tea and blueberry or cranberry juice.
The wily ancient Egyptians used the fruit for the treatment of dysentery and tapeworms, and in Sri Lanka the locals will regularly brew up a liquid extracted from its red flowers as a protection against eye infections.
If visiting London you can even experience a massive pom fix at beauty salons, where your body is treated with a range of revitalising pomegranate based beauty products.
The Pomme Grenate (excuse my French) literally means seeded apple, and the French (bless ‘em) went on to name their lethal ‘grenade’ after watching the seed scattering properties of the pomegranate.
For thousands of years there has been a love affair throughout India and the Arab countries with this wonderful, mysterious fruit, with its curious leathery shell housing a tight honeycomb of pink, jewel like fruit. The flavour is somewhat elusive, being both sour and sweet, with a bitter, creamy yellow membrane running through it. Tart tasting pips contrast with the juicy seeds suspended in its glassy flesh, for this is one of the fruits of the gods, and it’s now coming into full season in Cyprus.
For those new to buying poms, go for big, shiny fruits that feel heavy for their size, and check that they are free of bruising and do not have a brown colour at the flower end.
One other plus about this marvellous fruit is that you can freeze it – just pack the whole fruit in a heavy, zip style freezer bag and store.
They will keep for a good long time, so you can even enjoy the following recipes at Christmas time.
Faisinjan is a traditional Persian dish, with a pomegranate and walnut sauce. Normally this dish would be pheasant based, but as these fine birds are a bit thin on the ground in Cyprus we will use lamb.
This is one of those dishes that benefits enormously from being made the day before, so you get the full marriage of all the flavours.
Faisinjan
Serves four
Ingredients
2¼ lb/1kg boned lamb, cubed
Salt and pepper
Butter for frying
9fl oz/250ml pomegranate juice (about four pomegranates)
2 onions,chopped finely
Juice of one lemon
8oz/250gm walnuts, finely ground
2tbsp sugar
1 pint/560ml lamb stock or water
Good pinch of cinnamon and of nutmeg
Method
Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and fry very slowly in the butter for about 30 minutes, until almost cooked.
Cut the pomegranates in half and scoop out the pink seeds onto a clean T towel, keeping back a few ‘jewels’ for serving.
Wrap the pomegranate and squeeze the juice into a bowl. You can also juice it like you would an orange – cut in half in the middle cross wise – and use a juicer.
In a separate pan, cook the onions in butter until golden, and then add the ground walnuts, mixing well. Pour in the pomegranate and lemon juice and stir in the sugar.
Add the lamb stock or water and the spices. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the meat to the sauce and simmer until the meat is tender. Season to taste and serve with boiled rice sprinkled with the remaining pomegranate seeds.
