Persian Marinade With Pomegranate Molasses and Mint

According to the recipe, this marinate screams out for duck, but will convey the essence of Persia to any whole fish, bird or meat. With the pomegranate molasses, the natural sugar can be a bit sticky on the grill so it's better to brush your marinated meat lightly with oil before grilling.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Yields: 250 ml.

Ingredients

• 8  cardamom pods
• 1  tablespoon cumin seed (heaping)
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon (heaping tsp. or 10 cm cinnamon stick)
• 3  tablespoons light olive oil
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 4  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2  lemons, zested
• 3  tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 3  tablespoons mint, chopped
• 2  tablespoons water

Directions

1. Using a small sharp knife, extract the 6 or so irregular-shaped seeds from the discardable cases of the cardamom pods. Heat a frying pan to a moderate heat and dry-fry the cardamom, cumin seeds and cinnamon. Grind the toasted spices in a mortar & pestle or spice grinder . Heat the oil in the same pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes or so, until softened. Add the lemon zest with the ground spices and cook for 30 seconds. Take off the heat and add the pomegranate molasses, mint and water. Allow to cool before use.
2. After grilling, add the juice of the lemons and 4 tablespoons herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and/or dill.