START TO FINISH: 45 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Our take on som tom o, Thai pomelo salad, uses grapefruit as a stand-in for the highly seasonal pomelo. Traditional versions include dried shrimp as a flavoring, but we use fresh shrimp and include enough to turn the salad into a light main dish. To segment grapefruit, cut off the top and bottom and set the fruit on a cut end. Working from top to bottom and following the fruit’s contour, cut away the peel and white pith. Slide the knife along each side of the membranes separating the segments. If your roasted cashews are only lightly browned, toast them in a dry skillet for a few minutes to crisp them and bring out their flavor.
Don’t use shallots that are at all soft or spongy; they need to be fresh and crisp because they’re used raw—and because there’s a good amount in the salad. If you can’t find decent shallots, substitute ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced.
4 grapefruits (preferably red), segmented (see note) and seeded
6 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
8 ounces large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Thai chilies, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove, grated
4 ounces small shallots, sliced into thin rings, layers separated
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
½ cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped, divided
Cut any large grapefruit segments in half. Put the segments in a colander to drain and set aside while you prepare the shrimp.
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of the fish sauce and the shrimp, remove from the heat and cover. Let stand until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, transfer to a plate and let cool until barely warm. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce, the lime juice, sugar, chilies and garlic. Stir until the sugar dissolves. In a large bowl, combine the grapefruit, shrimp, shallots, cilantro and ¼ cup of the cashews. Pour the fish sauce mixture over and gently toss. Transfer to a platter and scatter the remaining ¼ cup cashews on top.