What could I do with Pomegranate?

So, reading a friends blog I came across a "Blog Chef Challenge." I love to cook, though I am not great at it yet, I am learning all kinds of new things. Thanks to books, foodnetwork, and other friends blogs. So, when I saw the challenge to come up with a recipe using a pomegranate I immediately wanted to try it!

My first thought was I wonder how it would taste in a risotto? I have never actually made risotto but always wanted to so I started there. I then tried to think of ways to make this an entree. Well, here is what I came up with.

First of all, I looked through different websites to get ideas, but did not take one recipe and make it. It was sort of a compilation of several recipes. And I couldn't tell you where I found them because I looked a few days ago, and looked at tons of recipes for ideas. So here is what you get.

Ingredients:

6 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Small onion

3/4 C water

2 cloves of garlic

1 16 oz Pork Loin

1 Large Pomegranate

1 Cup Arborio rice

1/2 package of bacon

4 Tb. Olive Oil

3 Tb. Butter

Salt and Pepper

pinch of dried rosemary

1/4 remaining pomegranate seeds

For the glaze:

Seeds of 3/4 of the pomegranate (you will be suprised at how much juice you get out of the seeds.)

2/3 cup of water

1/4 of sugar maybe more to taste

Start by preheating oven to 375.

Then, start with one large pot and add all of the chicken stock to it put on medium low to bring up temperature to the point where it is not quite boiling but there are little bubbles on the bottom.

Next, in a large pan add 2 Tb. olive oil and the bacon. Sautee the bacon till somewhat crispy. Then add the onion. Continue to stir till onion is transluscent. After onion is transluscent add the arborio rice and 3/4 C. of warm water. Once the water is absorbed into the rice add one ladle of chicken stock. Continue to stir frequently till liquid is absorbed then add another ladle of stock. You will continue to add stock till the rice is al dente. You just have to taste it to know really.

In the meantime salt and pepper the pork. In another pan add 1 Tb. olive oil and heat up. Once heated add the pork carefully and let it sear on that side. After crisp on one side flip to crisp on the other side. Then put into the oven and let it roast. I roasted mine for about twenty maybe twenty-five minutes so it was well done. If you like it more rare I suggest 10 minutes or so.

Continue to ladle stock into the rice and let it absorb. The risotto is finished once the rice is cooked slightly al dente. I believe it was around 5 1/2 Cups of the stock. It may be different for everyone.

Finally before pulling the pork out of the oven take the seeds of the pomegranate and put in zip lock back to smash juice out of them. Then drain juice into pan with other ingredients of the glaze/reduction, and bring to a boil on medium to med.-high heat. Let it boil for just a few minutes to reduce slightly. If you let it reduce too much you will be left with a very thick syrup and no pomegranate flavor it also burns very easily.

While this is boiling pull the pork out and put back into heated pan with Butter, garlic and rosemary. Tilt pan and spoon butter mixture over the pork so that it is bubbly and making it nice and crisp on the outside. Remove from pan and let it sit.

Once you have the glaze reduced slightly you are ready to plate!

Spoon risotto onto plate, then slice pork 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Place on top of risotto. Drizzle with the reduction of pomegranate, sugar and water. Top with remaining pomegranate seeds. And there you have it!

I have to tell you, I wasn't sure if it would turn out once I got cooking. However it was delicious! I think the best part was the pomegranate glaze. I tasted it before it reduced too much (because I let it boil too long after glazing the first plate) and it was so good, you could probably make a drink out of it! I made enough for the family but wasn't sure if my kids would enjoy it because it was not something they were used to. They totally went to town on it. Especially the pork!

I think if I do this again I'll use a low sodium stock, because it did have a bit too much salt, but other than that it was really good.