Crispy Rice Salad with Sausage & Citrus

This Thai-style salad folds together crispy rice, hunks of sausage, bursts of grapefruit, and a whole lot of herbs, for a fresh and fun dinner you can eat with your hands.

What You Get

Cooked white rice

Thai coconut spiced pork

Panang curry paste

Butter lettuce

Oro Blanco grapefruit

Thai basil

Shallot

Limes

Jalapeño pepper

Peanuts

What You’ll Need

Soy sauce

Brown sugar

Vegetable oil

Makes 3 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes 

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Step 1

Reheat the rice in the microwave, 1 to 2 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the pork and 2 heaping tablespoons curry paste. Fold in the rice with a fork. Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Place them on a plate and set it near the stove.

Step 2

Separate the lettuce into leaves and wash and pat dry. Peel and slice the grapefruit. Pick the basil and toss the stems. Thinly slice half of the shallot, reserving the rest for another use.

Step 3

To make the dipping sauce, squeeze the juice of 1½ limes into a bowl. Add about the same amount of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar and stir to combine. Cut the remaining ½ lime into wedges for serving. Thinly slice the jalapeño, and add it to the dipping sauce, if you want more heat. (Or reserve the slices to serve on the side.)

Step 4

In a large nonstick pan, warm ¼ cup vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, working in batches if necessary, add the rice balls and fry until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan between batches. (It’s okay if the rice balls fall apart a little, since you’ll be breaking them up, anyway.)

Step 5

Transfer the fried rice balls to a bowl, let cool slightly, and break them apart. Drizzle with some of the dipping sauce, and toss with the grapefruit, shallot, and peanuts. Place the lettuce cups on plates, and fill with the rice salad and basil. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing and the remaining jalapeño slices on the side.

Contains: peanuts, wheat, soy.