Pomegranates take center stage in our December-January issue. Inside our pages, a cooking pictorial illustrates pomegranate recipes, and another article recounts some of the history and mythology of the crimson fruit. But our affection for pomegranates clearly begins with the magazine’s cover.

Pomegranates weren’t yet in season or widely available when we shot the cover photo a few months ago. So we asked our friends over at Picos — they offer a few speciality dishes that feature the crowned fruit, including the classic chiles en nogada — for a few pomegranates. As the photo shoot got underway, we realized it wasn’t so easy to open a pomegranate without making a big mess. How do the pros do it? The internet is filled with a bewildering number of conflicting methods. We went back to Picos to get a local Houston chef’s method for opening and quickly seeding a pomegranate. Thank you, chef/owner Arnaldo Richards and daughter Monica Richards, for the demonstration! You can watch the video above.

Once you open and seed the fruit and you’ve eaten all the arils you can, blend the rest of the seeds with water and agave nectar for a sweet-tart morning juice (demo in video). Or whip up a batch of Arnaldo Richards’ pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe below) for a tart take on a basic oil and vinegar dressing.

POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE
½ shallot, minced
generous pinch of salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
½ cup fresh (or bottled) pomegranate juice
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or less)
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD: In a large bowl combine the shallot, salt, pepper, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, agave nectar and pomegranate juice. Whisk together to combine well. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and add a little more olive oil, if desired Store in a glass jar in a refrigerator. Shake well before using.