Change Up The Menu With Pomegranate Recipes From Mélisse Restaurant

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Chef Josiah Citrin, owner of Mélisse Restaurant in Santa Monica, visited the KCAL9 studios Wednesday to show viewers how to cook with pomegranates!

Melisse is located at 1104 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. Its one of the country's most acclaimed and highest rated restaurants, having earned two prized Michelin stars, and it was just named to Elite Traveler Magazine's "Top 100 Restaurants in the World" list in 2013.

The restaurant serves contemporary French/American food and will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year in July.

How to Open a Pomegranate:

• Cut: With a sharp paring knife, cut off the top about a half inch below the crown.
• Score: Once the top has been removed, four to six sections of the pomegranate divided by white membrane will be visible. With the knife's point, score the skin along each section.
• Open: Using both hands, carefully pull the pomegranate apart, breaking it into smaller sections.
• Loosen: Over a bowl of water, loosen the arils and allow them to drop freely into the bowl. The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top.
• Scoop: Use a spoon to scoop out the pieces of white membrane that have floated to the top of the water.
• Strain: Pour the arils and remaining liquid through a strainer.

How to Choose a Pomegranate:

o For eating or juicing, select pomegranates by weight, not by color.

o Pomegranates are only picked when they are perfectly ripe on the inside.

o The outside of a ripe pomegranate can vary from pink to a deep ruby red. Keep in mind that the heavier the pomegranates are, the more juice they contain