POM Wonderful

For step-by-step instructions and photos visit http://fotocuisine.com/2009/09/25/lamb-loin-chops-with-a-pom-pomegranate-bordelaise.

This month’s POM recipe had an interesting twist from the start. Our local Space Coast newspaper, Florida Today, is doing a feature on food blogging and had contacted Christey and me, asking if they could “ride along” on one of our blog posts. The day they called, I had just figured out what I was going to do for my POM post for September, so we arranged a get-together and I cooked up some lamb.

Lamb and pomegranate have a pretty close history in the Middle East, where pomegranates are common. On the French side, a bordelaise is a refined red wine sauce that pairs well with hearty meats like lamb. Personally, I think the traditional mint and lamb combination is far too overpowering for a tasty cut of lamb, and I also have an irrational dislike of rosemary. But, fresh thyme is also a common lamb herb (and is one of my favorite herbs in general), and substituting pomegranate juice for red wine in a serious reduction creates a sweet, fruity taste that (I think) makes an interesting contrast to the mint jelly so common in UK or stuffy New York City preparations of lamb. So, I took the concept of a reduced red wine bordelaise and substituted POM 100% pomegranate juice, used fresh thyme and some chives for the herbs, and took a lot of liberty with some traditional lamb concepts.