Spread the shrimp paste on a piece of foil wrap about 8 inches by 4 inches, fold it over and seal, then flatten. Place in a hot skillet and dry roast, pressing the package against the hot pan, for about 2 minutes. Turn over and repeat on the other side, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the dried shrimp, shallots, galangal or ginger, and salt in a mortar or blender and pound or grind to a paste. Add the shrimp paste and coconut and blend well.

Heat the water in a small nonreactive saucepan and stir in the flavor paste. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and add fish sauce or salt if you wish; the sauce should be sweet and salty. (The sauce can be made ahead and then stored, once cooled, in the refrigerator. Before serving, warm it slightly to loosen it.)

If you have time, place the lime juice and water mixture in a small bowl, add the chopped ginger, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the ginger and place the chopped shallots in the lime juice mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain. This will help prevent the ginger and shallots from discoloring as they sit out on the platter.

Arrange the filling ingredients in attractive piles on a large platter: Put the grated coconut (since it’s a larger pile than the others) in the center, either directly on the platter or in a bowl. Place a platter or large bowl of the leaf lettuce nearby. Put out several bowls of the sauce, each with a small spoon to use for drizzling the sauce on the bundles.

Show your guests how to assemble a flavor package then leave them to it.

Hot Sour Salty Sweet p264

Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid