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Pomegranate Molasses

Pomegranate molasses is the juice of pomegranate seeds mixed with sugar and reduced to a thick syrup until it’s almost candy-like, at once very sweet and very sour from the astringency of pomegranates’ natural tannins. It is an important ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking, especially Persian cuisine. I add it to slow-braised meats, like the lamb shoulder (see recipe), but it can be used straight from the bottle—as a sauce for ice cream, drizzled onto grilled chicken livers, or poured directly into your mouth. (See Resources.)