When I learned of this week’s Grapefruit Crab Salad for French Fridays with Dorie, I banged my head on the desk. I just came back on Wednesday from South Florida, the land of citrus and stone crab. I can’t believe I managed to miss a golden opportunity to create this ingredient-driven salad when the best that money can buy was just around the corner! My disappointment was quickly set aside though because Greenspan’s recipe inspired something equally delicious yet much friendlier to the wallet. I want to share with you my recipe for Pomelo Mango Shrimp Salad.
Lump crabmeat is a luxury item and spending oodles of money on pasteurized crabmeat in a can up here in Ontario makes no sense to me. Poached shrimp is a great seafood alternative without breaking the bank. Pomelo is my trusty standby for citrus salad. If you read Greenspan’s direction for segmenting and drying grapefruit, I’m sure you’ll agree with me on my choice of citrus. Pomelo tastes like a sweeter version of grapefruit yet the pulp is sturdy enough to be broken into chunks without spilling juice all over the place. I also prefer its crunch. This native southeast Asian fruit is commonly used in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. I decided to take my salad down that culinary direction with addition of sweet champagne mango, cilantro, scallion, and basil tossed in an oil-free dressing made with fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, and Sriracha. It’s a refreshing combination.
After enjoying five weeks of balmy sunny weather, I came home a little more tanned and a little fitter. Training for inline speed skating has been going well and I gain enough confidence to plunk down my money for flight and World Master Championship registration. With fewer than 45 days until race day, I am starting to feel the pressure. The weather here in Ontario continues to oscillate between winter and spring so getting quality training is challenging. However, I’m also happy to return to the familiarity and convenience of home.
This Pomelo Mango Shrimp Salad is big on flavour and nutrients. I hope that nourishing my body with quality food will contribute to better conditioning and ultimately faster on skates. I need every bit of help I can get! Click here to check out other bloggers’ interpretation of this recipe at French Fridays with Dorie.
Pomelo Mango Shrimp Salad
serves 4
inspired by Grapefruit Crab Salad by Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of shell-on shrimp (I used 31/35)
- 1/2 pomelo
- 2 champagne mango, peeled and diced
- 1 small red pepper, chopped
- 2 slender scallions, chopped on a diagonal
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon small basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha (or to taste)
Method
- Bring a pot of water to boil in a small saucepan. Cook the shrimp for approximately 2 minutes or until they turn orange and just firm to touch. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Peel and half the shrimp, set aside. You can prepare the shrimp up to a day ahead and store in fridge.
- To prepare the pomelo, score the very thick peel with a knife and remove peel. Gently remove all the membrane by the segment and break the pulp into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together shrimp, pomelo, mango, red pepper, scallion, cilantro, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing. Toss salad with dressing and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately or store in fridge up to 6 hours.
