Pomegranate Deviled Eggs - It's all in the Presentation

Don't you love the colors...

Mardi Gras Purple and Gold came to mind when I saw these... Or Minnesota Vikings (Brett Favre.... really, does anyone think that was a good idea???), LA Lakers or Washington Huskies.  For a select area of the country, these colors could be the big hit of a sports themed party.

And very easy.

First, I guess the why question comes up.

I am toying with ideas.  I was selected to host a POM WONDERFUL Pomegranate themed party.  If all goes well, fame, glory and valuable prizes will be winging my way.  If things don't.... well, I still got a big bunch of Pomegranates, lots of bottles of POM Wonderful Juice and I got to spend a week pondering what if...

Like what happens if you soak a hard boiled egg in Pomegranate juice for a day.

OK, only a few more days till the party and I get to be normal again.

But wait...  Have you sampled POM juice?  It has a very distinctive taste.  Tart, tangy a little sweet filled with taste.  Did the marinade affect the taste of the eggs.

You BET!  That Pom Tang makes these unusual (in a good way), unexpected (always a good thing) and they make a fun presentation!

No big secret... Only slightly hard part was to get Pomegranate Juice.  Sure, you could buy a bottle, but where's the fun???

Pomegranates are in season now, stores are full of them.  Don't be scared...  be experimental!

To get at the good stuff, there are 6 easy steps...

Step 1 is to cut.  

Just a bit off the top....

Look at the photo, cut just about an inch from the top, and slice all the way through.

Step 2 is to SCORE

OK, if you look close inside the Pomegranate, you will see white membranes. these membranes hold the seeds, and are what attaches the seeds to the fruit, which is attached to the branch, the trunk, the roots and the nutrients that feed it. It's the cycle of life without a Lion. Scoring means to cut down through those membranes. Keeps the arils intact and less mess. Leave the last 1/2 inch uncut so you can...

Step 3 is to Open

Now we're at the good part.

Feel free to taste test the little seed sacks. FILLED with juice, sweet, a little tangy and ready to eat! But to actually cook with them, we need to open it up, just peel down the sides. Now, you can see all the seeds, all the arils.

Step 4 is to Loosen

If you are afraid of the mess, you can use a spoon for this step. But let's get Zen with it. Be the Pomegranate... Feel the Pomegranate.. Live the Pomegranate lifestyle. get in there and pop the arils off with your thumb.

Just a small word of caution with this step. Wear an apron, or be very careful. The juice is wonderful, but it does stain. Work with the sides of the pomegranate towards you and the seeds away, when you separate them, it is less likely that the juice will pop towards you.

When you separate the arils from the membrane, always empty them into a bowl of water. the seeds sink (they are full of juice), while the white membrane will rise to the top, making it easy to...

Step 5 is to Scoop

With the membrane floating, it is easy to scoop the white parts out. The membrane is about the only inedible part of a pomegranate. It is very bitter. So scoop out all you can. Again, run your fingers through the seeds and make sure as much as possible has been removed.

Step 6 is to Strain

Pour through a colander, 

or scoop out with a slotted spoon, 

but stack em up! 

You get about a cup and a half of arils out of each Pomegranate.

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And there you go, How to open a Pomegranate in 6 easy steps!

Pour the Arils into a blender or food processor to get the juice.  Run through a collander to get the seeds out and you are set!!!

Now, let's make the deviled eggs.

I have a trick to make perfect hard boiled eggs... Not too soft, not too hard.  Put eggs in a pot, cover with water about an inch above the eggs.  Now, put on high heat until the water reaches a rapid boil (only about 3 minutes).  Remove from the heat, cover and wait 10 minutes...

DONE!

Remove the shells and soak in the Pom Juice for 24 hours.  Stir every few hours to evenly coat.

And from there, just make deviled eggs.  Easiest recipe...

cut the eggs in half, remove the yolks.

add juice of 1/2 a lemon, mayonnaise and yellow mustard to taste (I do a 2 to 1 mayo over mustard mix) until you reach a thick paste stage.

Fill the eggs and you are done...

POMEGRANATE DEVILED EGGS

and they do have that snappy taste!

And if you need a little help in learning to open a Pomegranate to get at the good stuff...

Here's how to open one... VERY neatly (So neatly, I did it over a white towel... No Mess)

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