Bánh Xèo (savoury Vietnamese crêpe)

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Bánh xèo is a savoury Vietnamese crêpe filled with your choice of meat and veggies. Don't forget the nuoc cham sauce! Báhn xèo is perfect for any meal of the day.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook time: 40 min

Additional time: 3 hrs resting

Yield: approx. 12 crêpes

Ingredients

For the crêpes:

• 255 g (1 3/4 cup) rice flour

• 85 g (0.7 cup) all-purpose flour

• 2-3 tsp turmeric

• 28 fl oz (3.5 cup) water

• 14 fl oz (396.9 ml) coconut cream if unavailable, use coconut milk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 sprig green onions chopped about 1/2" long

For the nuoc cham sauce:

• 3 Tbsp lime juice

• 1 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root

• 1 fresh red chile, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

For the filling:

• 1 lb (453 g) small shrimp, heads removed and deveined

• 1.5 lb (680.39 g) leftover pork, thinly sliced

• 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced

• 1.5 lb (680.39 g) bean sprouts

• 1/2 c dry mung beans (optional)

Vegetables:

• 1 bunch mint

• 1 bunch cilantro

Directions

Mix the batter in advance:

1. Combine all batter ingredients except scallions in a large bowl for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Add scallions only right before making the crêpes.

Make the sauce:

1. To make the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Adjust the chili to taste. Set aside.

When you're ready to eat, make the pancakes:

1. On medium-high heat add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and a few onion slices

2. Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing until very lightly browned and fragrant

3. Pour in some batter and quickly tilt and rotate the pan so the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it wasn't enough to cover the pan. There should only be a thin layer of batter at the pan edges. If your batter is too thick, add a few tbsp water to the batter and mix to thin it out.

4. Lower the heat to medium. Add some bean sprouts and cover with a lid for about 3 minutes, or until bean sprouts are slightly cooked. The batter should also be slightly cooked and transparent around the edges. This step cooks the top side of the ingredients and batter while it steams.

5. Remove the lid, lower heat to medium-low and wait for the pancake to become crisp. This takes about 5-7 minutes. This step lets the ingredients fully cook through, and the batter can crisp up. Brush on a little oil around the edges if you're not seeing or hearing it get crispy. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

Note: This batter makes a LOT of crêpes! Cover unused batter and store in the fridge - make more tomorrow!

To serve, you have options! Place all the herbs and veggies on the table and allow your guests to top it to their liking.

1. Top with a handful of herbs, drizzle with sauce, roll up and eat with additional sauce. You might want a knife and fork for this method!

2. Top with a handful of herbs, roll or fold the pancake and eat my hand, dipping in sauce as you go.

3. Soften a piece of rice paper and place on a plate. Put a crêpe on the rice paper, top with herbs and fold/roll it like a salad roll. Dip in sauce as you eat.

Zhuzh it up!

• In our opinion, the fresh mint is a must, but everything else is your choice! Use a vegetable peeler to create thin strips of carrot or cucumber. Sliced avocado would be lovey. And wrapping the crêpe in a large lettuce leaf is also a great way to enjoy báhn xèo.

This amazing recipe was adapted from one found on Minnesotamonthly.com