Published:  10:35 Monday - July 25, 2016

Pomelo salad is a delicious dish in the Southwest region but now it has become the favorite in many other regions in Vietnam. Pomelo is harvested November through June and a symbol of plenty during Lunar New Year. So, it is a great ideal when making pomelo salad in Tet holiday.

Vietnamese Pomelo Salad (Goi Buoi) is a relatively new creation, employing the deliciously sweet Vietnamese pomelo, which is similar to grapefruit, but not as sour.

Winter is pomelo season, and sure enough, these big fat babies are everywhere. It's the grapefruit for people who don't like grapefruit. The taste is less tart, and the big meaty segments make it healthy for day-long snackage. Pomelo is also loaded with vitamin C, making it excellent for warding off seasonal cold and flu.

Ingredients

For the scallops:

1 pound sea scallops, each roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter (dry packed if available)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

For the chilled ingredients:

1 large pomelo (about 3 pounds)

1 green mango, peeled and sliced into matchstick strips

1 large, fat carrot, peeled and sliced into matchstick strips

1 English cucumber, deseeded and sliced into matchstick strips

For the herbs:

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup rau ram leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup spearmint leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

2 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced (optional)

For the dressing:

1 red Thai bird chili, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, pounded or pressed

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 lime)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the garnish:

4 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons chopped Virginia-style roasted peanuts

Method:

1. Put the salt in a small saucepan and fill 2/3 with water. Bring to a boil and then add the shrimp. As soon as they've curled up, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

2. Return the water to a boil and add the chicken or pork chop. When bubbles form at the rim, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes to cook the flesh. Remove and set aside to cool. (If you're using the Vietnamese sausage, skip this step because it's already cooked.)

3. Cut the shrimp in the diagonal into large pieces that will blend well with the pomelo and other ingredients. Hand shred the chicken or cut the pork into julienne. Set aside.

4. Cut off one end of the pomelo to reveal its fleshy pith. Then use your fingers and knife to remove the pith so that all that's remaining is the white covered flesh. Pry the pomelo open and split into two parts. Then use a knife, scissors and your fingers to peel away the skin from each segment and remove the flesh. Separate the flesh into bite size pieces and deposit in a bowl.

5. For the dressing, combine fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar and chile garlic sauce in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.

6. Right before serving, add the shrimp, chicken or pork, carrot, mint, cilantro, peanuts and shallot to the pomelo. Toss with your fingers or tongs to combine well. Add the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust the flavors, as needed. Transfer to a plate, leaving any liquid behind and serve.