Trinity Cookbook Recipe: Pomegranate and Fennel Salsa

Pomegranate and Fennel Salsa

By Luk De Volder

Tucked deep inside a cookbook with only salmon recipes, my wife Tiffany once discovered this gem of a salsa. In Diane Morgan’s cookbook the salsa is featured to accompany a pan-roasted salmon. Tiffany usually serves it with Arroz Blanco (Mexican White Rice). Suggested wines are a Spanish albariño or a Portuguese alvarinho. It is one of the most delicious salsas you will ever taste, but for some reason it has remained a hidden gourmand treasure. Serves 4.

Ingredients

·      1 large fennel bulb, trimmed (fronds reserved)

·      1 pomegranate

·      1 jalapeño chile, seede, derived, and minced

·      2 green onions, including green tops, finely chopped

·      ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

·      2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·      2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

·      1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

·      ½ teaspoon sugar

·      Freshly ground pepper

Steps

Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise, remove the core, and then cut the fennel into ¼-inch dice. Transfer to a medium bowl. Chop ¼ cup of the fronds, add 2 tablespoons to the bowl, and reserve the rest for garnish. To extract the pomegranate seeds, cut the fruit into quarters, and then break the seeds away from the pith using your fingertips. (I wear disposable surgical gloves that I buy at any pharmacy to keep my fingers from being stained red. I also extract the seeds under water, placing a bowlful of water in the kitchen sink to contain any squirting pomegranate juice.) Transfer the pomegranate seeds to the bowl with the fennel. Add the jalapeño chile, green onions, cilantro, extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, salt, sugar, and a few grinds of pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside until ready to serve. (The salsa can be made up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature.)

Note from Luk

I love pomegranates, so I usually skip the gloves. Without the jalapeño chile the recipe is still delicious. Depending on the sweetness of the pomegranates you may need to add another teaspoon of sugar.

Acknowledgment

Diane Morgan, Salmon: A Cookbook by Diane Morgan (Chronicle Books: San Fransisco, 2005), 144-145.