Wild Mushroom Risotto With Arils

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice, if necessary.* Prepare pomegranate arils, if necessary.** Reserve 1/4 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) Heat oil in heavy saucepan and sear the mushrooms to create a caramelized brown surface. Add half of the butter and allow it to brown slightly; deglaze with 1/2 cup of chicken stock and season to taste. Remove the mushrooms from heat and set aside. In a clean saucepan, melt the rest of the butter with the onions and thyme sprig. Sweat until the onions are translucent. Add rice and stir for 3 minutes then deglaze with wine. Cook until all alcohol has evaporated, constantly stirring. Add chicken stock to rice 1 cup at a time, each time stirring until all liquid is absorbed. Add pomegranate juice and cook until almost dry. Cook until rice is al dente (slight bite), add parmesan cheese, season to taste, and then stir in the wild mushrooms. Serve this pomegranate recipe in warm bowls and garnish with pomegranate arils.

*To prepare fresh pomegranate 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.

**To prepare pomegranates arils, score 1–2 large POM Wonderful 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.