Pomelos are the larger & sweeter cousins of grapefruits, and they’re less bitter & tangy as well. This bright salad combines the sweet pomelo fruit with succulent chilled shrimp, fragrant herbs (mint, cilantro, Thai basil), toasted coconut, fried shallots, and roasted peanuts. My variation of this classic Thai salad adds in some Vietnamese influences with the pickled carrots, turnips, and lotus roots, for some additional texture and brightness!
Day Before:
Prep (Pomelo): Harvest the flesh from 2 medium-sized pomelos (should yield about 3 cups of flesh). How to break down a pomelo – Cut off the top ¾” of the pomelo (near the stem). With a sharp knife, score the skin/rind into 6-8 segments, making incisions about ½” deep and going length-wise to the opposite end of the pomelo. With your fingers, gently insert your thumbs in the center (where the stem was) and peel apart. Pull away the pith/membrane and harvest the pomelo flesh. Try to keep flesh as bite-sized chunks. Refrigerate in a bowl covered for at least 1 hour.
Prep (pickled veggies): In a jar, mix together 4 cups water, 1 tbsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar, and ½ cup rice vinegar. Peel and julienne 1/3 cup carrots and 1/3 cup daikon radish. Place in a jar and submerge with pickling liquid. Refrigerate overnight.
Prep (lotus root; optional): For the lotus root, you can buy it pickled at your local Asian store. If you’re working with fresh lotus root, peel the skin, cut off the ends, and cut into ½” slices. Soak in a bowl of 3 cups water w/ added 1 tsp rice vinegar for 5 min (to help remove astringent taste). In a pot, combine 3 cups water, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, and ½ cup rice vinegar. Boil for 10 min. Transfer to a container/jar and fill the jaw with the liquid you cooked it with. Refrigerate overnight.
Day Of:
Prep (shrimp): Boil ½ pound of shrimp (peeled, deveined) for about 1- 1½ min and shock in ice cold water. Drain and set aside in fridge.
Prep (herbs): Coarsely chop ¼ cup mint, ¼ cup cilantro/coriander, and ¼ cup Thai basil.
Prep (mix-in/garnish): Toast ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut in a skillet until crisp & golden brown (about 4-5 min over medium heat). Crush 2 tbsp roasted peanuts with a mortar & pestle (or coarsely chop with a knife). Set aside ¼ cup fried shallots (can be purchased premade at Asian stores)
Dressing: Combine 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 Thai chili (finely chopped), 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp fish sauce, and 1 tbsp palm sugar (or white sugar). Mix thoroughly w/ a whisk.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add dressing, and mix gently, making sure not to break apart too much of the pomelo flesh. Garnish with more herbs, fried shallots, roasted peanuts, and toasted coconut!
You can enjoy it as is, or serve it on top of a bed of chopped butter lettuce or your favorite spring mix.
