In Season: Pomegranate!

Once thought of as a mythical fruit from as far back as 2000 B.C., the pomegranate is a magical and often perplexing fruit.

Each bright red seed, or aril, is packed with fiber and sweet juice.  Many people aren’t sure if you should eat the seed inside, but its safe, and in fact, better for you.  In season from October to January, pomegranates are a wonderful fruit to enjoy in the winter months.

I was shopping at Publix this weekend and saw they were buy one get one free, or BOGO, for only $2.99.  I love a good BOGO and i’ve always been somewhat intimated by them so I thought now was as good a time as ever to crack them open and give em a try.

Warning: pomegranates are MESSY!!  The shorts and t-shirt I was wearing when I opened it might become painting clothes now, but I learned my lesson (wear an apron).

I had some left over Pinot Noir in the fridge from the holidays and the thought of combining it with pomegranate juice sounded really yummy so the idea for Red Wine & Pomegranate Braised Chicken was born.  This was an experimental dish, the boyfriend is out of town and if it came out awful at least I wouldn’t ruin the evening for him, so I was feeling adventurous.  Braising is an easy way to prepare chicken as it soaks in whatever liquid and flavors you cook it in and can all be done in one skillet.  Verdict: delicious!  The red wine and pomegranate reduction that tops the chicken was so good that I literally ate every last drop out of the pan!  Plus, the chicken was cooked perfectly and stayed nice and moist.  I served this with a green salad and a pomegranate vinaigrette I made adding EVOO and balsamic vinegar.

Here is the recipe, I encourage you to give it a try and discover that pomegranates can provide a delicious and sweet flavor and beautiful rich color to your dish.

Red Wine and Pomegranate Braised Chicken

Serves 2 (adjust the ingredients based on the number of chicken breasts you are preparing)

Ingredients

Directions

Start by salting your chicken breasts so they can sit room temperature and soak in the salt for at least 15 minutes. Next step is juicing the pomegranate.  If you have never cut open and removed the arils from a pomegranate, click here for a helpful tutorial. Place the arils in a blender or small food processor and blend until the arils have liquified (again remember this is messy!).  Strain the juice in a sieve and reserve the juice.

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When the butter starts to sizzle, but not burn, add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Dredge the chicken in flour and place in the skillet.  Saute the chicken about 4 minutes on each side until it starts to develop a nice brown crust.  Add the garlic and pour in the wine and pomegranate juice.  Let the liquid come to a quick boil and lower heat to medium low and cover.  The chicken should take about another 10 minutes to cook if the pieces are of medium thickness (if you have thick breasts I recommend pounding them down a bit first).  During cooking, flip the breast at least one time and spoon over the braising liquid.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and place on warming rack or pop in the microwave and close the door.  Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce until it develops a think and syrupy texture.  When the mixture looks finished, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.  Spoon reduction over the chicken breast and enjoy!