I decided to make pomegranate salsa and ricotta flatbread this week and wow… it was delicious. This post shares the recipe and some fun photography tips from my photo shoot.
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Food Photography Tips for Pomegranate Salsa and Ricotta Flatbread
USE MINIMAL PROPS
I tend to be more of a minimalist as a food photographer. I like letting the food be the star and not cluttering the image with too many other elements. For this shoot, I used a tarnished baking sheet and natural light from a large window. No other props were required and I love how the pomegranates really pop off of the rustic surface.
PLAY WITH BACKLIGHT
It’s very common to light food from the sides, but have you played with back light before? This is when your light source is positioned behind your food. It can create a really beautiful mood.
FIND INTERESTING ANGLES
Don’t be afraid to ditch your tripod and move around with your camera. As long as you don’t require a shutter speed below 1/100, you should be able to hold your camera to find interesting angles. I love being able to explore unique viewpoints that are unexpected in food photography.
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Read More About: My Favorite Lenses for Food Photography
Recipe Notes for Pomegranate Salsa and Ricotta Flatbread
TIP 1: HOW TO REMOVE SEEDS FROM A POMEGRANATE
I didn’t know how to remove the seeds from the pomegranate the first time I did it, but I’ve listed the steps for you below:
- Carefully cut around the middle of the pomegranate without cutting all the way through like you would an orange.
- Separate the two halves with your hands to reveal all of those gorgeous, vibrantly red seeds tucked inside.
- Hold one half over a bowl with the seeds facing into the bowl.
- Grab a wooden spoon and tap the sh** out of it until the seeds fall into the bowl.
- You can also squeeze the pomegranate as you tap to help move those deeper seeds along.
Pretty easy!
TIP 2: PRE-HEAT THE PIZZA STONE AHEAD OF TIME
I recommend preheating your oven to 450 degrees F and allowing a pizza stone or baking sheet to preheat for about an hour. It ensures the surface is very hot and will make for a much faster cooking process.
Once my pizza stone was hot and the dough was rolled out, I lightly brushed it with olive oil and pierced the dough with a fork so it wouldn’t puff up too much in the oven. The dough got golden and crispy in about ten minutes, but I recommend you keep an eye it since it cooks so fast.
TIP 3: ADD THE POMEGRANATE SALSA LAST
After I removed the cooked flatbread, I spread the ricotta evenly on top and then added a bunch of fresh, baby arugula. After I cut the flatbread into pieces, I sprinkled the pomegranate salsa over each slice making sure the ricotta was mixed in a bit so the salsa would stay intact on each piece.
Happy Cooking!
Read More About: My Fig Jam Recipe
Flatbread with Ricotta and Pomegranate Salsa
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pomegranate arils/seeds
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 serrano seeds removed and finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Flatbread or fresh pizza dough
- Olive oil
- Ricotta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven and allow to warm for 1-hour.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, serrano, cilantro, lime juice and mix well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place flatbread or rolled out dough on parchment paper for easy transitioning into and out of the oven.
- Lightly brush the dough with olive oil before placing in the oven.
- Toast the dough until the edges are lightly toasted, about 5-10 minutes. Oven temps are different, so be sure to keep an eye on it, because it will cook fast.
- Remove the dough from the oven and place on a cutting board.
- Spread ricotta lightly and evenly over the warm flatbread.
- Sprinkle a bunch of arugula over the ricotta and cut into serving pieces.
- Top each slice with pomegranate salsa.
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All images ©Regan Baroni 2018.
These are so tasty – and they continue to be delicious as leftovers as well… looking forward to wolfing mine down at my desk today!
You’re not going to share? 😉
This sounds amazing! What a fresh take on using pomegranate. Adding a hint of spice with the serrano? Sold! This is a must make for us. I always de-seed my pomegranates submerged in a bowl of water to avoid the murder-scene splatter.
That’s a great tip, Kik! I saw someone use a bowl of water and I loved how the seeds sink to the bottom and the pit pieces will float to the top. Makes it easier to separate… and a lot less “murder-scene splatter!” Ha!
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