Pomelo is an exotic fruit that you have a fighting chance of seeing in the Western hemisphere, particularly if you go to an Asian supermarket. It looks like a grapefruit on steroids: a good pomelo is about the size of a soccer ball.
The comparison continues on the inside: the rind is about an inch (or more) thick, and the segments are in skin so tough that you need a knife to pierce the membrane. It tastes a lot like grapefruit, too, but oddly less intense, as if the bitterness and tartness were diluted with size.
Sorry for the wonky color -- it's dark in my kitchen
Pomelo is delicious eaten by itself, of course, and often is, but it’s also frequently used in salads, like the one I made for dinner on Tuesday night. It’s loosely based on a recipe on the Rasa Malaysia blog; by loosely, I mean that I had about five minutes to throw it together, and only about half of the ingredients. It was still pretty tasty. Click on the link for the full version (which requires a bit of planning) or see below for my shortcut version (which can be made with things that are probably already in your kitchen, if you have a pomelo).
The finished product, in a somewhat utilitarian presentation
Thai-style Pomelo Salad
(serves two as part of a meal)
Ingredients
1/2 a pomelo
1 to 2 shallots
1 bird’s-eye chili, or any small hot chili
Juice of one lime, or 3 calamansi limes if you have them
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (substitute with salt, to taste, or vegetarian fish sauce)
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Cilantro for garnishing
Method
- Peel and segment the pomelo, removing all the membrane.
- Thinly slice the shallot(s).
- Chop the chili (and wash your hands very, very well before touching your eyes).
- Combine all ingredients immediately before serving, and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro if you’re feeling fancy.
And here’s what to do with the rind:
An alternate use for pomelo
Whoa, that pomelo has a pretty big rind! I prefer the ones with thinner rinds.
But I like what you did with yours!
It’s an Ipoh pomelo, so maybe that makes a difference? It was very sweet and juicy (for a pomelo). I used the dressing before in a chicken, cucumber, and rice noodle salad, too.