Rose’s Easy Version of Vietnamese Sizzling Crepe – Bánh Xèo – Uh oh… I will run out of things to blog soon!

Cooking Diary – Log 14 – 25.05.2014

Hiya all,

How have you been all week, I am all ears. Last week was something big on this blog, but let’s go back to our normal routine this week, OK? 😀

So, what’s for today, Rose? I want to share with you, my convenient Banh Xeo – Vietnamese Sizzling Crepe recipe. I call it convenient because I have simplified most of its complicated step to fit with a life of a student who lived abroad on a budget (good old days, huh?). What is left in the recipe is a easy to understand, easy to make Banh Xeo with lots of flavors and fun.

Ready?

Recipes (Make 8-10 of 30cm-diameter crepes)

Batter

• 1/2 package of Banh Xeo Crepe mix (sold in most Asian-Vietnamese Markets, picture followed) = 200g

• 300g coconut milk

• 100g beer or soda (no substitute, it’s my secret to long lasting crispiness)

• 1 egg

• 50g chopped scallion

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

• Usually in the flour mix, there is a turmeric powder package. But against all odds, if you don’t have one in your, use ½ tbsp. of turmeric powder.

Filling

• 300g shredded summer cabbage/sautéed mushroom/bean sprout

• 150g shrimp, peeled or unpeeled are both fine

• 500g pork belly with some fat with it

• 100g sliced onion

Special fish sauce

• 5 part water

• 2 part sugar

• 1.5 part fish sauce

• 1 part lemon juice

• 0.5 part crush garlic

• Chili to taste

Complementary

• Green salad leaves

• Fresh herbs of your choice

• Vietnamese translucent rice sheet

Demonstration

Batter

Mix all ingredients in the batter section above.

Stir well till you achieve a mixture with this consistency. As you can see, it should be a very thin batter.

Let sit for 15-30 minutes while you prepare other ingredients, this is important because you want the dry flour to absorb some liquid and expanding.

Fish sauce

Step 1: Mix together garlic, sugar, lemon juice.

Add water.

And finally fish sauce and chili to taste, done! Easy enough, huh? One way to know that your fish sauce have enough saltiness and sweetness in it is that the garlic must be floating on top.

Crepe

Step 1: Marinate the sliced pork with some salt and pepper.

Shred the cabbage.

Slice the onion.

Wash the shrimps.

Step 2: Prepare a thick-bottomed non-stick frying pan and a sturdy crepe slice bar. Utensils, checked.

Ingredients, checked.

Let’s do it!

Step 3: Using a heatproof brush to brush a thin layer of cooking oil onto the preheated pan.

Step 4: On high heat (note: this is important to achieve that sizzling sound and crispy texture of this particular dish), add the onion, shrimp, and pork, quickly stir. You kitchen will smell wonderful as heat clashes these ingredients. Watch closely and proceed to next step immediately to prevent burning.

Step 5: Give you batter a good stir to disturb any flour that sink to the bottom. Pour 2 spoonful of batter into the HOT pan. If your pan is hot enough, you will hear that legendary sizzling sound that make up the name of this crepe. Swirl the pan so that the batter spread out evenly and thinly, as thin as you can, you can do it!

Top it with some shredded cabbage on one half of the crepe.

Step 6: Cover the batter with lid, turn down the heat to medium high and let it sit for 3-5 minutes.

Until the edge is golden brown and start coming off from the pan, like this.

Step 7: Flip half of the crepe (the one with no cabbage on top) onto the other half.

Let sit for another 2-3 minutes then flip to the other side.

Step 8: Remove it carefully from the pan.

Step 9: Enjoy while it still hot and crispy with some rice sheet or salad wrap with herb. You choose your way.

Me? I made a summer roll out of it, and then dip it deeply in fish sauce. Yum!

Repeat the same process until your guests and beloved are totally full, remember to stir the batter every time you are to pour it into the pan.

OK one thing I must admit to my dear readers/friends, I also will soon run out of things to write for my blog. During these past 3 months, I have shared almost all of my saving during my free days in Finland and in Vietnam. Guess it is about time to start stocking again, huh? Inspiration, I hope to see you soon! 😉

Until next time,

Rose.