Pistachio Creme Brulee With Blackberries And Pomegranate Recipes

POMEGRANATE-PISTACHIO PILAF

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the lentils to a boil in about 1 cup water; reduce the heat to low and let simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage, if using, and cook, breaking up any clumps, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the rice, pistachios, fennel seeds, turmeric, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the rice is opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir into the lentils and add 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover completely and simmer over low heat until cooked, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, without removing the cover, 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and top with the pomegranate seeds.

PISTACHIO CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Blanch and peel unsalted pistachio nuts.
• Add 1 tablespoon of rosewater and grind in a mortar and pestle to a paste.
• Separate 5 egg yolks and blend with a third of a cup of sugar, stir until blended.
• Pour double cream into a saucepan, add the pistachio paste
• and simmer over a medium heat for five minutes. You can add a little more rosewater to taste, factoring in the additional sweetness of the sugar. Strain.
• add the cream to the eggs and sugar slowly, gently stirring it in.
• pour the mixture into four ramekins, filling to just below the rim
• Put the ramekins in a roasting tray with enough warm water to reach half way up the ramekins. Put in a 170c oven for about forty minutes. It's best to keep an eye on it, the edges should be firm with a bit of wobble left in the middle.
• refrigerate for at least a few hours. One of the advantages of this dish is that you can make it the day before and bring it out of the fridge at the last minute
• Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over each ramekin
• and level it evenly. Ignite the blowtorch and work it over until
• golden brown.

POMEGRANATE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate juice, 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the cream, brown sugar, water and remaining sugar. Cook until bubbles form around sides of pan., Remove from the heat; stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to five 4-oz. ramekins. Place cups in a baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to pan., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours., If using a creme brulee torch, sprinkle custards with sugar. Heat sugar with the torch until caramelized. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve immediately., If broiling the custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar. Broil 8 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour. Just before serving, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

PISTACHIO CRèME BRûLéE WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread pistachios on a baking sheet and toast until nuts are fragrant but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Rub off and discard any loose skins (some will remain on nuts).
• Pulse nuts with granulated sugar in a food processor just until finely chopped. (Do not blend to a paste.)
• Stir together nuts and cream with a pinch of salt in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just hot. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 30 minutes.
• Rinse kitchen towel under cold water and wring out as much water as possible. Line a large sieve with towel, then set sieve over a bowl or large glass measure and pour pistachio mixture into towel. Wrap towel up around mixture and, working over sieve, squeeze pistachio cream from towel into bowl. Discard ground pistachios.
• Lightly beat yolks in a medium bowl, then whisk in pistachio cream. Divide mixture among gratin dishes.
• Arrange gratin dishes on a metal rack set in a roasting pan and bake in a hot water bath until custards are just set around edges but centers tremble slightly when dishes are gently shaken, about 20 minutes. Remove gratin dishes from pan and cool, uncovered, then chill, covered, at least 4 hours. (Custards will set completely as they chill.)
• Very gently blot any moisture from surface of chilled custards with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar evenly over each custard, then move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just over sugar until sugar is melted and caramelized. Serve with sour cherry sauce.