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Banh Xeo: Vietnamese Crispy Crepes with Shrimp and Pork

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Batter
  • 1 cup Rice flour 160 g; not glutinous rice flour
  • 1/4 cup Cornstarch 30 g
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups Water 420 ml
  • 1/2 cup Coconut milk 120 ml
  • 2 Green onions thinly sliced
Filling
  • 1/2 lb Pork belly or pork shoulder 225 g, very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 lb Medium shrimp 225 g, peeled and deveined
  • 1 Yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups Bean sprouts about 170 g
  • 3 tablespoons Neutral oil plus more as needed; salt and black pepper
Nuoc Cham
  • 1/4 cup Fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup Fresh lime juice about 2 limes
  • 3 tablespoons Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Warm water
  • 1 clove Garlic minced
  • 1 Thai bird's eye chili thinly sliced, optional
To Serve
  • 1 head Butter or green leaf lettuce leaves separated
  • Fresh herbs mint, cilantro, Thai basil, perilla
  • Rice paper wrappers steamed, optional

Method
 

  1. Whisk rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, salt, and sugar. Add water and coconut milk; whisk smooth. Stir in green onions. Rest at least 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight). Batter should be like heavy cream.
  2. Dissolve sugar in warm water. Add fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. It should be salty first, sour second, lightly sweet. Adjust to taste.
  3. Thin-slice pork; season lightly with salt and pepper. Peel and devein shrimp. Slice onion. Rinse and drain bean sprouts.
  4. Heat a 10-inch nonstick or seasoned carbon steel skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tsp oil; sear a few shrimp, pork slices, and onion for about 1 minute until pork has color and shrimp start to pink.
  5. Stir the batter; ladle in 1/3 cup, tilting and swirling to coat thinly. Scatter bean sprouts over one half. Cover; cook 1-2 minutes until edges lift and surface sets.
  6. Uncover; drizzle 1 tsp oil around the edges. Cook 2-3 more minutes until deeply golden with lacy crisp edges. Fold in half and slide onto a plate. Wipe pan between crepes and repeat.
  7. Tear a piece of crepe, lay on a lettuce leaf with herbs, roll loosely, and dip in nuoc cham.