Pomelo Yellow

My first encounter with pomelo was in high school in Taiwan, when I saw little kids running around during the Moon Festival wearing its thick peel as a hat. While everyone was spending the holiday stuffing their faces with moon cakes, I was busy tearing apart its thick green skin and marveling at the deliciously firm citrus flesh.  Though now somewhat common, back then this grapefruit relative (the humble grapefruit is actually a hybrid of Indonesian pomelo and Jamaican sweet orange) was an addictive novelty that rivaled even the mighty bell apple for my interest, and since then it's become one of my favorite fruits - something I look forward to each winter, when, along with the pomegranate, it's actually in season. So the other day when I was looking at a poor, lone bulb of fennel sitting in my fridge waiting to be used, I immediately thought of this ideal partner. 




The following salad is similar to ones made in Italy using blood oranges, but I think the sweet and tangy taste of the pomelo, along with the firmness of the flesh, make it even more suitable for this type of  recipe. 




Pomelo and Fennel Salad


Ingredients: 


• 1 pomelo, separated into segments (More detailed instructions here)
• 2 large fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced
• Fennel fronds (tops), chopped. 
• Half a red onion, very thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Good glug of flavorful extra virgin olive oil
• Sprinkle of kosher or other coarse salt


Method: 


Combine ingredients in a bowl and adjust oil/lemon/salt to taste. This can be enjoyed alone, but it also pairs splendidly with grilled fish or other seafood. Healthy and delicious! 


Until next time! 


xx Annah