Thai Prawn & Pomelo Salad

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I love Pomelo, a big fat green citrus fruit with pink flesh. It is close to a grapefruit in taste, but is sweeter and drier in texture, and it is amazing in salads as it soaks up the flavours of the sauces and herbs really well.


Hubby though is not a fan, so I don't get to make this salad often. I had a more adventurous friend coming over for lunch so I took the opportunity to make it.

In Thailand this salad is called Yam Som-O. I have played around with the ingredients so much over the years that I'm sure this varies from the traditional salad, but it still tastes great.

The combination of fresh herbs, sweet sugar and coconut, sour lime and tamarind, the spicy red chillies and the chewy texture of the prawns and pomelo create a stunning dish both in flavour and looks.

I like to serve this salad warm, but it is equally nice served at room temperature - everything can be prepared in advance and combined at the last minute before serving, just take the prawns out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving to come to room temperature.

You can also make this salad with crabmeat if you don't fancy prawns.


Prawn and Pomelo Salad
(serves 4 as an appetiser)
  • 300 grams prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 20 grams dried shrimp, crushed (optional)
  • 1 medium pomelo, pith removed and shredded
  • 1/2 cup coriander leaves
  • 1 or 2 red chillies, de-seeded and sliced
  • 2 shallots, sliced (or 2 spring onions, sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons dessicated coconut, toasted in a dry pan to golden brown
Dressing
  • 100 mls tamarind concentrate
  • 40 grams palm sugar (or brown sugar if you don't have palm sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 30 mls lime juice (juice of 2 or 3 limes)

Method
  1. Soak the shallot slices in water for 5 minutes (this removes the pungent onion taste), drain well.
  2. Put the dressing ingredients into a pot, and bring to the boil, stir until sugar has dissolved and then simmer gently for 3 minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool.
  3. Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the prawns, poach for a minute or two until they are opaque and pink. Leave to cool if you want to serve your salad cold.
  4. Combine prawns, dried shrimp, pomelo, shallots and coconut
  5. Add dressing to taste, it will not need all of the dressing. Serve on individual plates and sprinkle with coriander and chillies.