Recipe for Pomegranate Ice Cream in Pistachio-Cardamom Cookie Sandwiches, with Bonus Recipe for Crispy Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies

Christmas is coming faster than you’d think, which means Christmas baking season is nearly upon us.

For the last few days, I’ve been working on a fun, new, seasonally appropriate, and colorful Christmas dessert. After several attempts, I’ve finally perfected my recipe for Pomegranate Ice Cream in Pistachio-Cardamom Cookie Sandwiches.

The recipe is amazing. Tart pomegranate, rich pistachio, and aromatic cardamom come together harmoniously in every bite of the ice cream sandwich.

I originally made mini-sandwiches because I was testing successive versions of the recipe in small batches. I soon realized the small sandwiches were ideal for serving after a holiday meal. They provide just enough sweetness to finish the meal with a flourish, yet are light enough to prevent that overstuffed feeling.

One version of my cookie recipe was light and crisp; too crisp for ice cream sandwiches, but perfect for serving on its own as a cookie. This cookie is so delicious, I’ve included the recipe below. I’m also adding Crispy Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies to the mixed plates of Christmas cookies I make every year for friends.

Pomegranate Ice Cream is also terrific on its own, and extremely easy to make. It takes less than 5 minutes to mix the ingredients, and the ice cream maker does the rest of the work. Serve scoops of the ice cream plain, with a few pomegranate seeds (arils) sprinkled over the top, or even with Crispy Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies on the side. This is another tart-yet-light dessert for serving after holiday meals.

Besides their deliciously tart flavor, pomegranates are good for your health. They contain large amounts of Vitamin C and B5, as well as many other phytochemicals. Tests show pomegranates may reduce heart disease risk factors and reduce blood pressure.

Here's my theory: So long as you eat it during the holiday season, the heart healthy benefits of pomegranate counteract the negative effects of eating cream, making Pomegranate Ice Cream a guilt-free treat.

Pomegranate Ice Cream in Pistachio-Cardamom Cookie Sandwiches
Makes 20 1 1/2” sandwiches or 10 3” sandwiches

1 recipe Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies for Ice Cream Sandwiches (see recipe below)
1 recipe Pomegranate Ice Cream (see recipe below)

Make the Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies for Ice Cream Sandwiches and let them cool completely.

Make the Pomegranate Ice Cream. When it's done, put it in the freezer for 1/2 hour to firm up.

Lay out the plain cookies, underside up, on a cookie sheet. Using a 1 Tbsp. scoop for 1 1/2” sandwiches or a 2 Tbsp. scoop for 3” sandwiches, place a scoop of ice cream on each plain cookie. Top the ice cream with cookies that have pistachios in the center, pushing down carefully to flatten out the ice cream without breaking the soft top cookie.

Freeze. Serve straight from the freezer. If you are storing the ice cream sandwiches for any length of time, wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

Pomegranate Ice Cream
Makes about 3 cups of ice cream (enough for 20 small, or 10 large, ice cream sandwiches)
Alcohol lowers the freezing point of ice cream, which makes it slightly softer and easier to serve than ice cream that doesn’t include alcohol. Even without the alcohol, Pomegranate Ice Cream is delicious, although it may form noticeable ice crystals. Pomegranate liquor enhances the pomegranate flavor, but raspberry-flavored vodka and plain vodka also work well and both have the benefit of being sold in miniature bottles. If you are making this to serve on its own, and your ice cream maker is large enough, double the recipe.

1 cup pomegranate juice from fresh pomegranates OR 1 cup 100% Pomegranate Juice (see Note below)
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbsp. pomegranate liqueur or vodka
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Thoroughly whisk all the ingredients together. Put the mix in an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note on pomegranate juice: Here’s how to juice pomegranates: Cut the pomegranates in half, and juice with a citrus juicer. If you don't have a citus juicer, remove the pomegranate seeds (more accurately, arils) from the skins, discarding the white fibrous matter separating the seeds. (You’ll make less of a mess if you do this underwater.) Whir batches of the seeds in a food processor and then put through a strainer to remove the pits (a Foley food mill works well for this task). If you don't have access to fresh pomegranates, 100% pomegranate juice works just fine in this recipe.

Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies (for use in ice cream sandwiches)
Makes 40 1 1/2” cookies (20 sandwiches) or 20 3” cookies (10 sandwiches)
With added cornstarch to reduce the protein content of the flour, egg yolk instead of whole egg, and slightly underdone cookies, this version is tenderer than cookies intended to be served on their own. The tenderness makes the cookies softer and easier to bite through, an important consideration for ice cream sandwiches. These cookies are more highly seasoned than cookies that aren’t served frozen. If you want Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies for eating on their own as cookies, see the recipe below for Crispy Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies. In a pinch, if you can’t find raw pistachio nuts, buy roasted, salted nuts (Costco often carries these), rinse off the salt, and dry them very well before using in the recipe. If you have a convection oven, you can bake multiple sheets of cookies at one time; if not, bake the cookies one sheet at a time.

1/2 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 – 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground cardamom (1 tsp. if using pre-ground cardamom)
Coarse sugar crystals for topping the cookies
Extra pistachio nuts for topping the cookies

Preheat the oven to 325°F (or 300°F convection).

Add the pistachios and sugar to a food processor or blender, and process just until the pistachios are finely ground.

Using the mixer’s whisk attachment, cream the butter and half the pistachio sugar until they are light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Mix in the remaining pistachio sugar.

Sift together 1/2 cup flour, cornstarch, salt, and ground cardamom. Using the mixer’s paddle attachment, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the remaining flour, as needed; the dough should be pliable, but not at all sticky.

Roll out the dough on a floured cloth until it is 3/16” thick (gather up the trimmings and reroll them). Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter (I like 1 1/2” circles for mini ice cream sandwiches), and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpats. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse sugar crystals. Push one pistachio nut into the center of half the cookies.

Bake for 7 - 8 minutes, or until the cookies have firmed up, but are still underdone. Remove from the oven and place the cookie sheets on wire racks to cool (don’t remove the cookies from the cookie sheets until they are completely cool).

Crispy Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies (for serving as cookies)
Makes 80 1 1/2” cookies or 40 3” cookies
This recipe produces crispy cookies that are perfect for serving on their own, with a cup of tea, or as part of a mixed plate of Christmas cookies. (Crisp cookies aren’t suitable for ice cream sandwiches because they’re too hard to bite through when frozen.) In a pinch, if you can’t find raw pistachio nuts, buy roasted, salted nuts (Costco often carries these), rinse off the salt, and dry them very well before using in the recipe. If you have a convection oven, you can bake multiple sheets of cookies at one time; if not, bake the cookies one sheet at a time.

1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 – 2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground cardamom (1 1/2 tsp. if using pre-ground cardamom)
Coarse sugar crystals for topping the cookies
Extra pistachio nuts for topping the cookies

Preheat the oven to 325°F (or 300°F convection).

Add the pistachios and sugar to a food processor or blender, and process just until the pistachios are finely ground.

Using the mixer’s whisk attachment, cream the butter and half the pistachio sugar until they are light and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Mix in the remaining pistachio sugar.

Sift together 1 3/4 cup flour, cornstarch, salt, and ground cardamom. Using the mixer’s paddle attachment, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the remaining flour, as needed; the dough should be pliable, but not at all sticky.

Divide the dough in half. Roll the halves out on a floured cloth until they are 3/16” thick (gather up the trimmings and reroll them). Cut out the dough with cookie cutters (I like 1 1/2” circles), and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpats. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse sugar crystals and push one pistachio nut into the center of each cookie.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the cookies just barely start to brown. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to place the cookies on wire cooling racks. Store in an airtight container.
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Pomegranate Ice Cream in Pistachio-Cardamom Cookie Sandwiches is my contribution to Sugar High Friday: All That Glitters hosted this month by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook

Crispy Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies is my contribution to Eat Christmas Cookies: Season 2, which is created and hosted by Susan of Food Blogga. Check out Susan’s round-up page to see all the cookie recipes submitted this year (Susan will continuously update the page as new cookie recipes are submitted).

Tips: Freezing and Thawing Fish, with Recipes for Pomegranate Salmon and Parsley Couscous Pilaf (Σολομός με Ροδί και Κουςκούς Πιλάφι)

Writing about pomegranate molasses yesterday made me crave it. I’d planned salmon for dinner, so used the molasses for marinade that doubled as sauce. The marinade added flavor to both the fish and the Parsley Couscous Pilaf I served with it.

The salmon was caught last summer in the icy waters of Alaska’s Prince William Sound. During fishing season, my husband’s friend Richard regularly tows his boat - and his friends - hundreds of miles down the Seward and Sterling Highways in search of wild Alaska seafood.

Richard, master fisherman and mighty boat captain, is a remarkably successful seafood hunter, as are his fishing partners. By the end of summer we always have enough fish in the freezer to last the year.

Fish must be properly packaged for it to survive in the freezer without developing freezer burn or off flavors. Because it is fatty, salmon is particularly susceptible to turning rancid while frozen. Over many years, we’ve developed techniques for protecting fish against the freezer’s ravages.

Freezing Fish

Fish must be kept on ice until frozen, and should be frozen as soon as possible after it leaves the water. No matter how tired he is, when my husband gets home from fishing we immediately start processing and freezing fish. For those who buy it rather than catch it, any fish not to be eaten fresh should be frozen immediately upon return from the market.

I prefer freezing fish as fillets because they are easiest to portion, lie flat in the freezer, and freeze faster than other cuts. I pack the fillets in pieces large enough for two to avoid thawing out more fish than can be eaten at one meal.

As my husband fillets each fish, I cut the fillets to size and put them in the heaviest duty zip-lock freezer bags I can find. I fill a clean sink with very cold, clean water. I push the bag underwater and let it fill up with water so there is no air left in the bag. While it is underwater, I force enough water out of the bag for it to lie flat in the freezer and then firmly seal it.

I wrap the sealed bags of fish in freezer paper to form a flat package, tape it shut, and label it with the date, species of fish, and weight of the contents. Labeling is very important and protects against eating geriatric frozen fish discovered in the freezer’s depths.

When the fish is wrapped and labeled, I spread the packages out in the freezer to make sure they freeze as fast as possible. Fast freezing prevents large ice crystals from forming in the fish. For the same reason, you can also turn the freezer down to its lowest setting while the fish freezes. Don’t forget to turn the freezer back to its normal setting when the fish is completely frozen.

Vacuum-packing is another method of preparing fish for the freezer. This method works as long as the seal holds. If something punctures the plastic vacuum bag, air leaks in and vacuum packing’s protection is lost. For maximum freezer burn protection, wrap vacuum-packed fish in freezer paper to shield the plastic from punctures.

When vacuum-packing fish, make sure it is lying flat before applying suction. If fish is all akimbo when suctioned, the packages won’t stack well in the freezer. With one or two packages of fish, this isn’t a problem. However, it is very difficult to fit 20 irregularly shaped packages in the freezer at one time. Even worse, when the packages can’t be stacked they become dangerous rock-hard footballs that fly off freezer shelves and knock you in the head when you try to extricate a bag for dinner.

Thawing Fish

Frozen fish is best when thawed quickly. The easiest way to do this is putting the sealed bag of fish under cold running water. Resist the temptation to thaw fish in warm or hot water; doing so causes undesirable texture changes. Although some recommend it, I’ve never successfully thawed fish in a microwave and think it is a bad idea.

Thawing fish overnight in the refrigerator works, but the fish will lose a lot of moisture. I often thaw fish at room temperature without problem, but food safety experts advise strongly against doing so because it can cause bacterial growth and spoilage.

Last night we enjoyed silver salmon that was caught and packed in July. I thawed it under cold running water, put it in marinade when the center was still slightly frozen, and refrigerated the fish until just before I was ready to cook.

No matter how well you package it, frozen fish loses some moisture and is more susceptible than fresh fish to drying out. For this reason, be careful not to overcook fish that has been frozen. Serving frozen fish with a sauce, as with Pomegranate Salmon, also helps counteract dryness problems.

Pomegranate Salmon (Σολομός με Ροδί)
Serves 4 – 6
In blind tastes tests, wild Alaska salmon beats farmed salmon every time. Besides having better flavor and texture, wild Alaska salmon is better for your health and for the environment. The color of wild Alaska salmon comes from its natural diet. It is not pumped full of dye, hormones, and antibiotics, as farmed salmon can be. Wild Alaska salmon is labelled as such; if your fishmonger doesn't identify salmon as wild, it is farm-raised.

2 pounds wild Alaska salmon fillets
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Marinade:
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup thyme or other full-flavored honey
1/4 cup finely minced garlic
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine

Minced parsley for garnish

Wash the salmon and dry it well. Using needle-nosed pliers, remove as many pin-bones from the salmon as possible. Skin the fillets and cut them into 4 – 6 even-sized pieces.

Thoroughly mix the pomegranate molasses, honey, garlic, Aleppo pepper, salt, and 1/4 cup wine. When the molasses and honey have dissolved, mix in the remaining wine. Put the marinade in a zip-lock bag (I use the bag in which the fish was frozen), add the salmon, seal the bag, and jostle the ingredients until the salmon is completely coated with marinade. Refrigerate and let the salmon marinate for 1 – 2 hours.

Pour the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, watching carefully so it doesn’t boil over, and immediately turn down the heat to low. Simmer the marinade while you cook the salmon.

Remove the salmon from the bag and place it on paper towels. Pat the salmon dry, and season it on both sides with freshly ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan large enough to hold all the salmon until it is hot but not smoking. Sauté the salmon for 2 - 4 minutes per side, depending on its thickness. Don’t overcook the salmon; it tastes better slightly underdone than slightly overdone.

Spoon a pool of sauce (cooked marinade) on a plate. Top with a piece of salmon, and sprinkle it with parsley. Serve with Parsley Couscous Pilaf and a crisp green salad.

Parsley Couscous Pilaf (Κουςκούς Πιλάφι)
Serves 4 (If you are serving 6, proportionally increase the amount of ingredients.)
“Toasted couscous” is also sold as “Israeli couscous” or “pearl couscous.” It is not couscous as that term is commonly used in Moroccan cooking. Rather, it is pearl-shaped pasta that can be boiled and sauced, made into cold salads, cooked as risotto, or, as here, substituted for rice in pilaf.

1 cup minced shallots
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup toasted couscous
2 cups hot water
1 cup thinly sliced green onion
3/4 cup minced parsley
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel

Sauté the shallots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and turn golden. Add the couscous and sauté until the couscous starts to brown. Add the hot water, bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to low, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the green onion, parsley, and finely grated lemon peel. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Serve immediately.

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This is my entry for A Taste of Terroir 2008 hosted by Anna's Cool Finds.

Ingredient: Pomegranate Molasses with Recipes for Pomegranate-Olive Jam, Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail, and Pomegranate Aperitif

Pomegranate molasses is pomegranate juice that has been boiled down to an intensely flavored syrup. It is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Armenian, and Turkish cuisines.

Pomegranate molasses initially tastes sweet on the tongue, but is quickly followed by a burst of rich, tangy flavors. The sourness is similar to lemons, but more complex; pomegranate molasses includes floral flavors that most citrus fruits don’t have.

In Anchorage, Sagaya carries pomegranate molasses. It is widely available from internet sellers, and may be purchased at Middle Eastern and many Asian groceries. It goes well with most foods that pair with lemon: chicken, meat, fish, vegetables, salads, dressings, dips, and spreads.

My good memories of pomegranates are associated with Christmas. When I was small, we had them for holiday treats, and savored each jewel-like seed. The Christmas we spent in Greece, I missed the snow but reveled in pomegranate trees hanging thickly with fruit; red ornaments on bare branches.

This year, when the holidays came around, I bought a flat of pomegranates, some of which I juiced to make Chicken with Pomegranate-Wine Sauce. I had leftover juice, and used it to make Pomegranate Aperitif spiked with pomegranate molasses for extra flavor. On Christmas Day, we combined the Pomegranate Aperitif with champagne for festive, rosy-tinted Pomegranate Champagne Cocktails.

When I pulled out the pomegranate molasses for the aperitif, I remembered a recipe Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook posted for Olive Pomegranate Relish. Susan’s relish was made with green olives, sugar, and pomegranate molasses. Although green olives aren’t my favorite, combining olives and pomegranate molasses was an intriguing concept that sounded amazingly good.

I decided to try Susan’s recipe, and substituted Kalamata olives for green ones. For my palate, this was not a successful substitution. I started playing with various combinations of the two ingredients. I split the recipe in thirds and added sugar to one bowl, chopped olives to the second, and pomegranate molasses to the third. Nothing worked; the flavors of Kalamatas and pomegranate molasses kept clashing.

I tossed out the relish and started over. This time I added Aleppo pepper, hoping the pepper’s fruitiness would bridge the flavor gap between Kalamatas and pomegranates. The pepper helped, but not enough.

I went back to the pantry and scanned the shelves, hoping for inspiration. I pulled out a bottle of thyme honey from Greece. Once again I split the recipe into thirds. I added a little bit of honey to one bowl and knew right away I was on the right track. I kept adding honey until I was satisfied with the flavor.

The final result is a dark, full-flavored jam, lush with the flavors of pomegranate and honey; olives and peppers add welcome savory elements. I paired the jam with Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread and Garlic Toasts and brought it to Christmas dinner at Penny’s house.

The Pomegranate-Olive Jam was a surprising hit. It cured Moira’s persistent morning (and afternoon and evening) sickness, at least temporarily, as she repeatedly downed little toasts spread with cheese and jam. She requested I make it again for New Year’s Day. I did, and more than one person asked for the recipe.

Pomegranate-Olive Jam
Makes about 3 cups
Although it may be tempting to buy pitted olives, their flavor pales in comparison to that of olives with pits. To easily pit Kalamata olives, spread them out on a cutting board and smash each olive with a meat pounder or other heavy object. After being pounded, the pits slip right out of the olives.

2 1/2 cups Kalamata olives
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup thyme honey or other full-flavored honey

Pit the olives and finely chop them; do not puree the olives. In a pan large enough to hold the chopped olives, cook the sugar, pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo pepper over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped olives and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey. Place in a glass container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Serve with Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread and Garlic Toasts. Smear a toast with goat cheese spread, and top with Pomegranate-Olive Jam.

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
Use good quality low-end champagne for this drink as the flavor of expensive champagne is masked by Pomegranate Aperitif.

1/3 champagne glass Pomegranate Aperitif
2/3 champagne glass champagne

Pour the Pomegranate Aperitif into the bottom of the champagne glass. Top with the champagne and serve.

Pomegranate Aperitif
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vodka
1 bottle dry white wine
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

Mix the pomegranate juice, sugar, vodka, and dry white wine in a large, wide-mouth jar. Store in a cool place for one to two weeks, shaking the jar every few days. The day you serve the aperitif, stir in the pomegranate molasses. Pour into sterilized bottles and chill. Serve straight up, over ice, or with soda.

Recipe: Chicken with Pomegranate-Wine Sauce

I hardly knew Tom and Joanna when they first invited me for dinner. I thought they were smart, funny, and sarcastic, and looked forward to an amusing evening. The evening was entertaining, but not in the way I’d expected.

The pair made their home in a nondescript apartment complex, which they managed in exchange for reduced rent. The kitchen was tiny. The walls were sterile. The kitchen equipment was rudimentary.

When I arrived, Tom and Joanna hadn’t yet started cooking. The intended main course was chicken in pomegranate sauce. It was an ambitious undertaking; in those days, we experimented with complex recipes calling for skills we did not yet possess.

The difficulty with the recipe was it required juiced pomegranates. This was before pomegranate juice was readily available, and Tom and Joanna had purchased a pile of pomegranates to liquify.

Joanna had no idea how to juice a pomegranate. Neither did Tom and neither did I; the only pomegranates I’d ever had were Christmas treats, savored seed by seed. I was dubious whether pomegranates could actually be turned into juice. The kitchen equipment was clearly not up to the task.We steeled ourselves with stiff shots of Jack Daniels.

I don’t remember the exact juicing method we finally settled on. What I do remember is the pomegranates contained very little juice; not nearly enough to make the recipe. What juice there was ended up on the counters. And on the walls and backsplash, no longer sterile. And on our clothes, hands, and faces. It was a dramatic mess.

By the time all the pomegranates had been mangled, we couldn’t quit laughing. It was that laughter that sealed our lifetime friendship. In circumstances where some might be frantic or upset, Joanna just laughed and poured us another drink.

The evening left me with an indelible impression that cooking with pomegranates was more trouble than it was worth. I steered clear of them until recently, when I read Maryann’s advice on Finding La Dolce Vita to juice pomegranates by breaking them down in the blender and straining out the seeds. This sounded easy enough to try.

Maryann's advice came at a time when the local Costco store was carrying flats of huge, gorgeous pomegranates. It was kismet; I had to buy them. Once the pomegranates were piled on my counter, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tom and Joanna’s chicken in pomegranate sauce. I decided to create my own version.

I removed the pomegranate seeds in the sink, under water, to prevent their staining juice from spraying all over the kitchen. I whirred batches of seeds in the food processor and used my mom’s old Foley food mill to strain out the pits. Each large pomegranate made two cups of cleaned seeds which, in turn, made 3/4 cup of juice.

The final dish was a rousing success. The chicken, pounded thin and cooked quickly in butter, had a nutty taste that complimented the slightly sweet, but tangy, pomegranate-wine sauce. I'm not ashamed to admit I licked my plate.

I will make this recipe over and over again. Each time I do, I will laugh at the happy memory of that first dinner with Tom and Joanna, so many years ago.

Chicken with Pomegranate-Wine Sauce
Serves 4
For a more refined sauce, strain out the shallots after the sauce has thickened, and before stirring in the butter. I love the shallots' added texture, so I leave them in. Serve with Dill and Rice Pilaf, and crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

Sauce:
3/4 cup diced shallots, 1/4” dice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (2 – 3 pomegranates)
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. butter

Chicken:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
Fresh dill or parsley, minced for garnishk

For the sauce: Sauté the shallots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and start to turn golden. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the chicken stock, pomegranate juice, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, and is slightly syrupy. (I made the sauce ahead to this point.) Just before serving, warm up the sauce. When the sauce is hot, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time.

For the chicken: Wash the chicken breasts, and dry them well. Remove the “fillet” from each breast, and cut the rest into two slices by holding the pieces flat with one hand and cutting parallel to the cutting board. Pound the sliced chicken pieces, including the fillets, between pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap until they are 1/4” thick. Cut the pounded chicken into approximately 3” pieces. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (The chicken may be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated until ready to cook).

Heat the butter in a frying pan until it just starts to bubble. Quickly cook the chicken pieces until they are lightly browned and cooked through. Cook the chicken in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan, or the chicken will steam rather than brown. When all the pieces are done, quickly toss them in the frying pan to make sure all pieces are hot.

For serving: Spoon a pool of sauce onto each of 4 plates, top with pieces of browned chicken, and sprinkle with minced fresh dill or parsley.

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This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #113, hosted this week by Astrid from Paulchen's Food Blog.
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Pomegranates are a popular item this season, in part because of "the heavy promotion of the crimson fruit and its juice as rich in antioxidants." This antioxidant rich dish is my entry for this week's Antioxident Rich Food/Five-a-Day Tuesday sponsored by Sweetnicks.
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Don't forget to buy your Menu for Hope raffle tickets no later than December 21-- all proceeds go to the UN World Food Program. The Menu for Hope prize I am offering is here (wild oregano, handmade sheep cheese, handmade egg noodles, and autographed copy of Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska), the list of all West Coast Menu for Hope prizes is here, and the list of all worldwide Menu for Hope prizes is here. For more information about Menu for Hope, go here.