Instructions: Make the Sweet-and-Sour Sauce: Using a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and chiles into a paste. Add the sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix well to combine, and taste. If sauce is too pungent, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Serve, or store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add more lime juice if needed. (Makes 1/4 cup)

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, shallots, sugar, salt, pepper, minced mint, lemon zest, fish sauce, and oil. Stir to combine. Add shrimp, and toss to combine. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat a grill. Remove shrimp from refrigerator. Place shrimp on skewers. Generously spray shrimp with vegetable oil, and place on grill over medium-high heat. Grill, turning occasionally, to prevent burning, until shrimp are slightly charred, pink, and firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Bathe a rice paper in a bowl of very warm water. Shake off excess water, and lay it flat on a work surface. Line with several pieces of lettuce, and top with 2 to 3 cucumber slices, 3 to 4 shrimp, a mint leaf, a cilantro sprig, and few slivers of chile. Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper over the filling. From left to right, fold the rice paper over filling, and roll up into a cylinder. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve with sweet-and-sour sauce.

This recipe yields 12 wraps.

Yield: 12 wraps

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