Pomegranates are a great source of antioxidants and have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. The tangy seeds of this healthful fruit go well with many other ingredients, as you’ll see in this recipe for Crab and Couscous Salad with Fennel and Pomegranate. To give our dish a little kick, we season it with just a touch of fresh ginger and chile, and then garnish with shaved fennel and pomegranate seeds. Serve it alongside a chilled Omer beer, and you’ve got yourself a meal!
Foodpairing Tool
Omer traditional blond Belgian beer contains phenols, which are aroma molecules that give off a light smoky scent. These phenols found in Omer beer form an aromatic link to the crab meat in the salad. (Other examples of ingredients that contain phenols are smoked meats, cloves and vanilla.)
Pomegranate seeds and Omer beer also share fruity and flowery rose-like molecules that further reinforce their aromatic match. Ginger then contributes a strong citrus-scented element that it shares in common with the beer.
Crab and Couscous salad with Fennel and Pomegranate (serves 4)
Marinated Pomegranate Seeds
preparation
- 2 pomegranates
- 20 g Japanese rice wine vinegar
- 8 g fresh ginger, minced
- 6 g chile pepper, minced
- 10 g granulated sugar
Cut the pomegranates in half and separate out the seeds. Reserve half of the seeds and transfer the other half to a blender and juice them. Make sure you have at least 1 liter of juice.
Next, whisk in the rice wine vinegar, minced ginger, chile pepper and granulated sugar into the pomegranate juice. Add the remaining pomegranate seeds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Shaved Fennel Salad
- ½ a bulf of fennel
- freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
- extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
- salt, to taste
- fresh black pepper, to taste
Use a mandolin to slice the fennel into paper-thin slices. Transfer to a medium-size bowl and season the fennel slices with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve and set aside.
Crab and Couscous salad with Pomegranate
preparation
- 150 g couscous, cooked
- 75 g crab meat, cooked
- Marinated Pomegranate Seeds
- Shaved Fennel Salad
- fresh cilantro, minced
- fresh mint, minced
- extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Strain the Marinated Pomegranate Seeds using a fine mesh sieve, reserving the juice.
Next, make the Pomegranate Vinaigrette by whisking together the juice and some olive oil. Reserve and set aside.
Next, transfer the Marinated Pomegranate Seeds to a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the cooked couscous, being careful not to break any of the pomegranate seeds. Add the mint and cilantro. Season the couscous mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
To serve, transfer the couscous mixture to a shallow serving bowl and arrange the Fennel Salad shavings on top. Lightly drizzle the Pomegranate Vinaigrette over the salad.
