A piquant, fruity salsa that is good as a topping for bruschetta, served with roasted or barbecued vegetables, or as an accompaniment to the Goat Cheese Pancakes (see page 138).
Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
⅔ cup white wine vinegar
⅔ cup fresh orange juice
3¼ tablespoons light brown sugar
seeds from 1 small pomegranate
2 handfuls pistachios, toasted (see page 18) and chopped
1 ounce mint leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry 10 minutes until softened and starting to color, then add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, orange juice and sugar, then turn the heat down to low and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and become syrupy. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly before stirring in the pomegranate seeds, pistachios and mint.
Middle Eastern markets are great places to buy large bunches of fresh herbs at a fraction of the cost of those sold in supermarkets.
To keep them fresh a week or more, wrap the root end in a damp piece of paper towel, secure with an elastic band and store in a plastic bag. Alternatively remove the leaves from the stems and freeze them separately in plastic containers for future use.