Monday, November 23, 2009

Pavlova with Pomegranate Curd

Pavlova with Pomegranate Curd and Fresh Pomegranate

So last year, I sort of overloaded you all with pomegranate recipes (or even recipes that didn't require poms, but just looked pretty with them in the picture). I am trying not to do the same this year, but with poms bursting at the seams at the farmers market and a whole new load of POM Wonderful juice, I am just itching to make many more recipes featuring the forbidden fruit. Last week I became obsessed with the idea of making a pomegranate curd. I just could not get it out of my mind. I am so glad I made it and then I tried to find out brilliant ways to use it. Sonja and Andy were really helpful in the thought process with the idea of a trifle, but all of a sudden it occurred to me me that I had a bunch of leftover egg whites and I should really use them up. Over the summer many people made the beautiful pavlova with lemon curd and fresh fruit featured in the now defunct Gourmet. I thought it would be a nice spin to make the pavlova part, but use the more seasonal pomegranate. It was a great gamble. I have never made a pavlova before and had a bit of trouble converting the number of egg whites into how much they weighed. I ended up choosing 30 grams per large egg white based on this recommendation at Joy of Baking. The pom curd ended up looking a bit (well...a lot) like poo, but with the pom seeds on top of the pavlova I hardly noticed it's unattactiveness. That and the fact that the tart pom curd paired so well with the sweet pavlova and tart and sweet seeds, this was an incredible and yet simple dessert. I have a lot more pom juice and I am definitely going to make some more curd to pair with toast and quite possibly another dessert.


Pomegranate Curd
(From Baroness Tapuzina)

3/4 cup sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup pomegranate juice
5 egg yolk, beaten well
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces at room temperature

In a bowl placed over a sauce pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and pomegranate juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick like sour cream, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Whisk the butter into the mixture until it has melted. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately with plastic wrap by placing the wrap directly on the curd and refrigerate until cool.

Printable Recipe

Pavlova
(Adapted from Forever Summer (Style Network's))

Makes 1 8-inch pavlova (or two 4-inch pavlovas)

4 egg whites (120 grams)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vinegar
Few drop pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar one spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Sprinkle over the cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Fold gently until combined. Mound the meringue onto two four-inch circles.

Put the pan into the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 300 degrees. Cook for 60-75 minutes. When it is ready, the pavlova will be crisp on the edges and dry on the top, but the center will be squidgy. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Let the pavlova cool completely.

When ready to serve, inver the pavlova onto a plate. Top with the pomegranate curd and pomegranate seeds.

Printable Recipe

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18 comments:

Maria said...

Gorgeous dessert! I can't get enough Pomegranate!

The Active Foodie said...

Looks wonderful!! Good job Esi! Now I want some poms....

vanillasugarblog said...

I think this came out perfect. It's gorgeous with the pom's on it. I am a little bit intimidated by pavlova--I don't think I could pull this off.

Erica said...

I love all of your experiments! Makes me want to do more of my own. I think it looks very pretty (and not like poo at all ;))

Cooking with tien said...

It's a beautiful dessert.

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely dessert. It's so nice to be able to pull various aspects of different dessert into one that is truly your own. This looks wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Pomegranate curd - genius! I am so making this.

chow and chatter said...

oh wow i love this I tried to make macarons the other day more like palova great recipe

Unknown said...

see, i was thinking that it looked like chocolate! so i wouldn't have been put off, just a little surprised ;)

Alicia Foodycat said...

I thought it was caramel until I read the description! The pomegranate curd must have been delicous. I make terrible pavlovas - I have a real problem with them.

Diana said...

Curd is a horrible word for such a wonderful substance!

This looks pretty darn professional. Keep the pomtastic recipes coming!

Gfron1 said...

Very nice - the tart is a great complement to the pavlova's sweetness.

Sharon said...

This is stunning! Bring on the pomegranates!

The Purple Carrot said...

I think everything looks better with pomegranates in the picture! :)

Looks and sounds fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for linking to my website. I am glad that you liked the curd. Your Pavlova looks delicious.

I used pomegranate nectar to make my curd and for some reason it maintained its ruby color. I am going to experiment with 100% pomegranate juice and see if I can solve the problem with using fresh juice.

Antonietta said...

Ooohhhh Pavlovas are so delicate and beautiful! I love the addition of the pomegranate!

The Food Librarian said...

Wow! This looks lovely. The poms are such a brilliant color.

Kerstin said...

What a pretty seasonal dessert! Please keep the pomegranate recipes coming :)