I love Thai food. The interplay of unique flavors, the balance between salty and sweet, the clean palate, all make up entirely new taste combinations. I recently picked up Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid’s brilliant book, Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Trip Through Southeast Asia. This enormous book is filled with both tales of the authors’ travels throughout this region of the world, as well as easy-to-follow recipes of the delicious sorts of food eaten on their excursions. While flipping through the pages, dog-earring the recipes I had to try, I came to a recipe for Pomelo Salad that looked intriguing.

The pomelo, a typical Southeast Asian citrus fruit, now sold in the U.S., looks like a giant grapefruit. Usually less juicy than a common grapefruit, with a thick spongy skin, they can range in flavor, from quite sour to pleasantly sweet. You never know what kind of pomelo you will end up with until you try it. I scored an enormous pomelo for my salad. Cutting off the pithy outer skin to behold the gorgeous segments of fruit, I tasted, expecting a sour melange of citrus. The pomelo that I obtained was actually very similar to a Ruby Red grapefruit– rosy exterior, and sweet-sour taste. In fact, my pomelo was so similar to a grapefruit, and the salad was still so delicious, I think I would use grapefruits in the future.

I made the typical lime juice dressing complete with the salty, marine kick of Thai fish sauce. I dry roasted peanuts and coconut, diced shallots, chopped mint, and deseeded chiles, careful to avoid any contact with my eyes. The salad is meant to be assembled at the last minute, so all of the flavors stay crisp and clean. My kitchen counter looked like an apothecary shop, with all of the little bowls carrying dishes of chopped or sliced ingredients, strange on their own but beautiful tasting when married together.

Finally I was ready to toss and serve. Each dish was emptied into my bowl of pomelo supremes; I tasted, and the combination was ideal. Salty and sweet, with a kick from the chiles, and washed with a freshness from the addition of chopped fresh mint. Crunching on the dry-roasted peanuts, and savoring the bits of grated coconut, I imagine this salad to be the perfect balm for a hot summer night, when just the idea of turning on the stove makes you break out in a sweat.

This recipe originally calls for pomelos, but can be easily adapted with Ruby Red, or Rio Star grapefruits. Served with butter lettuce, it makes a delightful midday meal.

Pomelo Salad
adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet

Serves 2-4 depending on sides

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon palm, or brown sugar
1 pomelo, or 2 medium grapefruit
2 tablespoons dry-roasted grated coconut
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/2-1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2-3 bird, Thai, or Serrano chiles, finely chopped, or to taste
Bibb, or butter lettuce, cleaned for garnish

In a small bowl mix together fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Blend until sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside.

Peel the pomelo or grapefruit, then cut out segments of fruit, leaving behind the bitter pith. Place the fruit in a bowl, reserving the juice from the fruit in another bowl.

In a dry skillet, over medium heat, roast both the coconut, and the peanuts until toasty, and light brown in color. Chop the peanuts after roasting if necessary.

Salad should be fully assembled just before serving. Add the roasted peanuts and coconut, the shallots, chiles, mint, and pomelos to a large bowl and toss. Pour the lime dressing over, and continue to toss. Taste and adjust seasoning, if the dressing is too pungent, add a bit of the reserved grapefruit juice.

Serve immediately on a bed of lettuce.