Instructions: Bring the 3 stalks lemongrass, ginger, 2 tablespoons lime zest, fish sauce, water and palm sugar to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Adjust the heat so the sauce is simmering and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is dark and reduced to a thick syrup, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain into a sauce bowl that can be passed at the table. Discard the solids, cover the bowl and set it aside.

For the Salad: Arrange small piles of the salad ingredients (toasted coconut, chili flakes, green beans, cucumber, bean sprouts, grapefruit, apple, lemongrass and lime zest) on a large serving platter. Place one cup of rice on each guest"s plate and divide the cooked shrimp evenly among the plates. Let the guests add the accompaniments they prefer to their plates. Pass the sauce separately, for guests to drizzle a little (1 to 2 tablespoons) over their plate, then toss the ingredients together.

This recipe yields 4 servings.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.