This is a nearly traditional salad in which the grapefruit plays a leading role, complementing mild shrimp and allowing you to make an almost ridiculously easy dressing, made up of nothing more than fish sauce (called nam pla in Thailand and nuoc mam in Vietnam), or soy, lime, a bit of sugar, and some water. Use good shrimp—Pacific or Gulf whites are the best, though the less expensive and widely available tiger shrimp are acceptable—and buy them big, because you’ll have fewer to peel.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp

　　Salt

　　3 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce) or soy sauce

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　Juice of 2 limes

　　6 cups lettuce or mesclun

　　2 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, tough white pith removed, each section cut in half (see Note)

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil, preferably Thai basil

　　Minced fresh chile or hot red pepper flakes (optional)

　　1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts (optional)

　　

Step 1

Put the shrimp in a saucepan with salted water to cover; bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until opaque in the center. Cool in the refrigerator or under cold running water, then peel (and devein if you like). Cut the shrimp in half if they’re large.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Combine the nam pla or soy sauce with 2 tablespoons of water, the sugar, and the lime juice and blend or whisk until smooth.

　　

Step 3

Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates; top each portion with a few grapefruit pieces, some shrimp, and the mint and cilantro; drizzle with the dressing, then sprinkle with a little chile and chopped peanuts if you like, or pass them at the table.

　　Cooks' Note

　　The best way to retain the grapefruit’s juices is to peel and section it as you would an orange, not by cutting it in half and scooping out the flesh as you would to serve it at the table. Remove as much of the tough white pith as you can before cutting each section in two, which you should do just before assembling the salad.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.