You must be thinking I’m in deep denial of the fact that we are still at least a month away from anything resembling summer by posting what looks like a suspiciously summery and refreshing summer salad. Buuuuut I would immediately counter with the fact that we are fast approaching the end of citrus season and therefore it is actually the perfect time to make citrus fruits the star of your plate. I actually make some version of this salad year round, but it is at its most delicious when the markets are full of juicy, pink grapefruit.
I have never been to Thailand, but I love the sour, spicy flavors in Thai cooking. I think these flavors really shine in Thai salads – you know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever sampled the ubiquitous som tam green (unripe) papaya salad at a Thai restaurant. This salad is a very loose version of a similar salad called Yam Sam-O. The traditional version highlights tropical pomelo, fresh herbs, and dried shrimp, dressed with lime juice and fish sauce. However, I often use grapefruits because they are easier to find and produce more juice – and more juice=more flavor. I also usually add seafood to make it a more substantial meal. Here I am using baby calamari, but shrimp or baby scallops also work very well.
I actually had a pretty difficult time figuring out the exact measurements of the dressing – for as long as I’ve made this salad (which is close to a decade now), it’s always been a taste-as-you-go kind of thing. With that in mind, I suggest approaching the recipe below as more of a general outline. Go spicier, or saltier, or sweeter to your taste. Same goes for ingredients – if you are lucky enough to find pomelos, use them! If you hate squid, use shrimp. If you can’t stand mint, Thai basil would be delicious to substitute. Peanuts can be subbed for cashews, or left out if you prefer. (With all these substitutions though, I can’t in good faith say I’ve made an authentic dish – this is why I’ve called it “sort-of” Yam Som-O). The proportions below make enough for a light dinner for 2, or an appetizer for 4-6. It is easily scaled to however many you are feeding.
Sort-of Yam Som-O (Thai Grapefruit Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw, cleaned squid, shelled shrimp, or small scallops
- 2 large ruby red grapefruit or 1 pomelo*, peeled and supremed, (cut into wedges with no pith – do this over a bowl and reserve any juices for the dressing)**
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint (or Thai basil)
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 1-3 thinly sliced thai bird’s eye chili, or 1.5 tsp dried chili flakes
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted cashews (or peanuts)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- juice of 2 medium limes
- up to 1 tablespoon leftover juice from supreming the grapefruit/pomelo
- 1 tsp brown sugar, or to taste (if using pomelo)
Directions
- Heat a pot with 2 inches of unsalted water until just simmering (salting will make the seafood tough). Add your squid, shrimp, or scallops and simmer 1-3 minutes, or until just opaque and cooked through. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- Whisk the oil, fish sauce, lime and grapefruit juices, and optional brown sugar in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Set aside.
- Combine the grapefruit, chopped herbs, shallot, chili or chili flakes and cooled seafood in a large, non-reactive bowl. Pour over dressing and mix gently. Top with chopped cashews and serve immediately.
