POM Cube with Chocolate Streusel by Chef Troy Guard
Time to Table: 30 minutes prep, 10 to 15 minutes cooking, 12 to 24 hours chilling
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients:POM Cube
Juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate*, or 3 fluid ounces POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, or POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice Concentrate**
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped
1/2 cup heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons to soak gelatin
1/2 tablespoon gelatin powder
POM Raspberry Sauce
Juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate*, or 5 fluid ounces POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, or POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice Concentrate**
12 oz. raspberries, pureed and strained
1 teaspoon agar***
Chocolate Streusel
1/2 cup arils from 1–2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils for garnish
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 oz. butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Preparation:
POM Cube:
Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.* Place a medium pot with about 2 cups of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Combine 3 oz. pomegranate juice, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a heat-safe bowl and set over heated water, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 175°F. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat at medium-high speed for 3 minutes, allowing mixture to cool. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of cold heavy cream, and allow it to soak for a few minutes. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream until medium soft peaks form, and then add pomegranate mixture, gently folding it in. Place the soaked gelatin and cream in a small pan. Heat over a low flame just until all of the gelatin dissolves, and then fold it into to the pomegranate mixture. Fill ice cube molds – about 3 oz. per mold – and allow it to set in a refrigerator overnight.
POM Raspberry Sauce:
Combine 2 oz. pomegranate juice with strained raspberry puree and agar. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Put sauce into small dish and chill for 1 hour. Then place chilled sauce in blender and blend until smooth.
Chocolate Streusel:
Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) Preheat oven to 350°F and get a sheet tray ready with a silicone baking mat. Place all ingredients except arils in a large mixing bowl and knead together with hands until smooth and crumbly. Sprinkle streusel on sheet tray with silicone baking mat and bake about 6 minutes or until crisp. Allow streusel to cool and sprinkle over POM cube with POM raspberry sauce.
Serve this pomegranate recipe.
Notes:
* For 1 cup of juice, cut 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.
** 0.5 fl oz of concentrate = 1 tablespoon To make pomegranate juice, mix 1 part concentrate with 4 parts water.
***Available at your local natural foods markets like Whole Foods.
Nutritional Information:
Nutrients per Serving (2 ounces cube, 2 ounces streusel, 2 ounces raspberry sauce): 240 calories (120 calories from fat), 4g protein, 14g total fat (8g saturated), 30g carbohydrates, 85mg cholesterol, 15g total sugars, 134mcg vitamin A RE, 95mg sodium, 135mg potassium.
POM Cube:
Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.* Place a medium pot with about 2 cups of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Combine 3 oz. pomegranate juice, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a heat-safe bowl and set over heated water, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 175°F. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat at medium-high speed for 3 minutes, allowing mixture to cool. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of cold heavy cream, and allow it to soak for a few minutes. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream until medium soft peaks form, and then add pomegranate mixture, gently folding it in. Place the soaked gelatin and cream in a small pan. Heat over a low flame just until all of the gelatin dissolves, and then fold it into to the pomegranate mixture. Fill ice cube molds – about 3 oz. per mold – and allow it to set in a refrigerator overnight.
POM Raspberry Sauce:
Combine 2 oz. pomegranate juice with strained raspberry puree and agar. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Put sauce into small dish and chill for 1 hour. Then place chilled sauce in blender and blend until smooth.
Chocolate Streusel:
Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) Preheat oven to 350°F and get a sheet tray ready with a silicone baking mat. Place all ingredients except arils in a large mixing bowl and knead together with hands until smooth and crumbly. Sprinkle streusel on sheet tray with silicone baking mat and bake about 6 minutes or until crisp. Allow streusel to cool and sprinkle over POM cube with POM raspberry sauce.
Serve this pomegranate recipe.
Notes:
* For 1 cup of juice, cut 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.
** 0.5 fl oz of concentrate = 1 tablespoon To make pomegranate juice, mix 1 part concentrate with 4 parts water.
***Available at your local natural foods markets like Whole Foods.
Nutritional Information:
Nutrients per Serving (2 ounces cube, 2 ounces streusel, 2 ounces raspberry sauce): 240 calories (120 calories from fat), 4g protein, 14g total fat (8g saturated), 30g carbohydrates, 85mg cholesterol, 15g total sugars, 134mcg vitamin A RE, 95mg sodium, 135mg potassium.
Chef Troy Guard
Chef Troy Guard
Chef and Owner, TAG
Denver, CO
Denver, CO
Raised in both Hawaii and San Diego, TROY GUARD spent much of his youth in either the ocean or the kitchen. “I was a fish,” he says, “and when I wasn’t in the water, I was grilling or barbecuing—mostly with my Dad, who cooked kalua pigs at luaus.”
Troy worked his way through college and onto the local culinary scene at San Diego’s La Costa Resort, training at all five of the resort's prestigious restaurants. After college, he returned to his native Hawaii—a path that brought him to the door of legendary fusion chef Roy Yamaguchi. Within a year, Troy was sous chef at one of Yamaguchi’s most popular restaurants, Roy’s Kahana Bar and Grill in Maui.
“Roy taught me so much,” Troy says of the experience. “I learned how to work with fresh fish like Hamachi and Hawaiian Pink Snapper (opakapaka), and Pacific Rim ingredients like soy, cilantro, ginger, and yuzu—ingredients I've grown to love. And with guest chefs stopping by—Nobu, Bradley Ogden, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Douglas Rodriguez—I learned new things all the time." Troy joined Yamaguchi for his next culinary adventure, the launch of Roy’s New China Max in Hong Kong. By age 25, he was responsible for ten Roy’s outposts throughout Asia.
Troy spent eight years working closely with Yamaguchi before taking the coveted post of Executive Chef at New York City hotspot Tao. Leading a high-volume operation with a large kitchen staff prepared him for his next calling at The Raffles Hotel in Singapore—where, as Chef de Cuisine at the world-renowned Doc Cheng's restaurant, he developed his own unique Pacific Rim style.
It was at Doc Cheng’s that Troy met Richard Sandoval, the visionary behind award-winning “Modern Mexican” concept restaurants across the U.S. Together, Guard and Sandoval hatched the idea of creating Denver’s first Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, Zengo, in the city’s emerging Riverfront area.
On the heels of his success at Zengo, Troy joined forces with developer-turned-restaurateur Jim Sullivan to embark upon a new enterprise that would showcase his innovative culinary personality. The resulting restaurant, nine75, serves “comfort food with a rock & roll twist.” Guard and Sullivan followed this success with the opening of Ocean, a Denver eatery dedicated to uniting the freshest seafood with provocative flavors and preparations.
Despite his international past, Troy has fully embraced life in Denver with his wife and step-daughter. In addition to a thriving catering and consulting business, he is active in communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Troy is involved in philanthropic efforts for the Mount Saint Vincent Home as well as two annual events for the Colorado Neurological Society: Dancing for a Cause and Costumes for a Cause (for which he recently served as co-chair). He also participates in a variety of local cultural events, including the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and the Telluride Festival of Arts.
Having already been named one of the “Great Regional Chefs of America” by the James Beard Foundation, Troy recently returned to the historic James Beard House in New York for yet another honor. As a member of the Denver FIVE, he was proud to be part of a select group of local tastemakers chosen to represent the Mile High City at an exclusive private dinner.
Never content to rest on his laurels, Troy is on the verge of yet another grand opening in the Mile High City. His latest endeavor, TAG, slated to open its doors in early 2009, will combine his love for travel with his flair for culinary innovation. Serving up a brand-new genre that he calls “continental social food,” TAG will be the realization of a lifelong dream for Troy.
Troy worked his way through college and onto the local culinary scene at San Diego’s La Costa Resort, training at all five of the resort's prestigious restaurants. After college, he returned to his native Hawaii—a path that brought him to the door of legendary fusion chef Roy Yamaguchi. Within a year, Troy was sous chef at one of Yamaguchi’s most popular restaurants, Roy’s Kahana Bar and Grill in Maui.
“Roy taught me so much,” Troy says of the experience. “I learned how to work with fresh fish like Hamachi and Hawaiian Pink Snapper (opakapaka), and Pacific Rim ingredients like soy, cilantro, ginger, and yuzu—ingredients I've grown to love. And with guest chefs stopping by—Nobu, Bradley Ogden, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Douglas Rodriguez—I learned new things all the time." Troy joined Yamaguchi for his next culinary adventure, the launch of Roy’s New China Max in Hong Kong. By age 25, he was responsible for ten Roy’s outposts throughout Asia.
Troy spent eight years working closely with Yamaguchi before taking the coveted post of Executive Chef at New York City hotspot Tao. Leading a high-volume operation with a large kitchen staff prepared him for his next calling at The Raffles Hotel in Singapore—where, as Chef de Cuisine at the world-renowned Doc Cheng's restaurant, he developed his own unique Pacific Rim style.
It was at Doc Cheng’s that Troy met Richard Sandoval, the visionary behind award-winning “Modern Mexican” concept restaurants across the U.S. Together, Guard and Sandoval hatched the idea of creating Denver’s first Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, Zengo, in the city’s emerging Riverfront area.
On the heels of his success at Zengo, Troy joined forces with developer-turned-restaurateur Jim Sullivan to embark upon a new enterprise that would showcase his innovative culinary personality. The resulting restaurant, nine75, serves “comfort food with a rock & roll twist.” Guard and Sullivan followed this success with the opening of Ocean, a Denver eatery dedicated to uniting the freshest seafood with provocative flavors and preparations.
Despite his international past, Troy has fully embraced life in Denver with his wife and step-daughter. In addition to a thriving catering and consulting business, he is active in communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Troy is involved in philanthropic efforts for the Mount Saint Vincent Home as well as two annual events for the Colorado Neurological Society: Dancing for a Cause and Costumes for a Cause (for which he recently served as co-chair). He also participates in a variety of local cultural events, including the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and the Telluride Festival of Arts.
Having already been named one of the “Great Regional Chefs of America” by the James Beard Foundation, Troy recently returned to the historic James Beard House in New York for yet another honor. As a member of the Denver FIVE, he was proud to be part of a select group of local tastemakers chosen to represent the Mile High City at an exclusive private dinner.
Never content to rest on his laurels, Troy is on the verge of yet another grand opening in the Mile High City. His latest endeavor, TAG, slated to open its doors in early 2009, will combine his love for travel with his flair for culinary innovation. Serving up a brand-new genre that he calls “continental social food,” TAG will be the realization of a lifelong dream for Troy.
