Thai Shrimp Salad

Thai Shrimp Salad

14 ounces raw salad shrimp

4 stalks lemon grass

4 tablespoons lime juice

4 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 stalk cilantro

10 stalks fresh mint

4 small shallots

2 hot red chili peppers

2 green onions

In a sieve or wire basket, cook shrimp until just pink by plunging into a pot of rapidly boiling shrimp shell or vegetable stock or water. Bruise lemon grass well, slice very thinly into rounds and place in bowl. Combine lime juice, fish sauce and fructose and pour over lemon grass. Set aside to allow flavors to blend. Remove root from cilantro and set aside for use in another dish. Remove leaves from stalks and keep whole; chop stalks coarsely. Remove leaves from mint and discard stalks. Set aside a handful of the mint and cilantro leaves for garnish. Slice shallots thinly in rounds.

Pound hot peppers to release the oils, then chop finely. Cut green onion tops for garnish. Then cut white stalks in four pieces lengthwise, then into one inch lengths. Ten minutes before serving, combine shrimp with lemon grass mixture and allow to stand. To serve, combine with remaining ingredients and toss well. Mound on a plate and garnish with mint and cilantro and green onion tops. Serves 4 generously.