Bánh Xèo (Sizzling Vietnamese Crepes)
By Andrew JanjigianPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Nuoc Cham
3 tablespoons sugar, divided1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced1 garlic clove, minced⅔ cup hot water 5 tablespoons fish sauce ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)Crepes
1 head Boston lettuce (8 ounces/227 grams), leaves separated and left whole1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and thin stems1 cup hot water (120 to 130 degrees)½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white rice flour 3 tablespoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon table salt, divided3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided4 ounces (113 grams) boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin6 ounces (170 grams) medium-large shrimp, (31 to 40 per pound), peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise, and halved crosswise⅓ cup canned coconut milk 6 ounces (170 grams) (3 cups) bean sprouts, dividedBefore You Begin
Stir the coconut milk thoroughly to combine before measuring when making these Vietnamese crepes. Although we prefer the flavor of regular coconut milk, light coconut milk can be substituted. If you can't find Thai basil leaves, substitute regular basil. Serve with Daikon-Carrot Pickle (Do Chua), if desired.
Instructions
- Using mortar and pestle (or using flat side of chef's knife on cutting board), mash 1 tablespoon sugar, Thai chile, and garlic to fine paste. Transfer to medium bowl and add hot water and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Divide sauce among 4 individual small serving bowls.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet, spray rack with vegetable oil spray, and set aside. Arrange lettuce, basil, and cilantro on serving platter. Whisk hot water, rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl until smooth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is no longer pink and onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add shrimp and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp just begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer mixture to second bowl. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Add coconut milk and 2 teaspoons oil to crepe batter and stir to combine.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add one-third of pork mixture and heat through until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Spread pork mixture over half of skillet. Pour ½ cup batter evenly over entire skillet. (Batter poured over filling will drain to skillet surface. If needed, tilt skillet gently to fill gaps.) Spread 1 cup bean sprouts over filling. Cook until crepe loosens completely from bottom of skillet with gentle shake, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until edges of crepe are lacy and crisp and underside is golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Gently fold unfilled side of crepe over sprouts. Slide crepe onto prepared wire rack and transfer to oven to keep warm. Repeat 2 more times with remaining oil, pork mixture, batter, and bean sprouts. When final crepe is cooked, use 2 spatulas to transfer all 3 crepes to cutting board and cut each crosswise into 1¼-inch-wide strips.
- Place crepes and greens in center of table, and give each diner 1 bowl of sauce. To eat, wrap individual strip of crepe and several leaves of basil and cilantro in lettuce leaf and dip into sauce.
for the nuoc cham
for the crepes
to serve
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Nuoc Cham
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
⅔ cup hot water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
Crepes
1 head Boston lettuce (8 ounces/227 grams), leaves separated and left whole
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and thin stems
1 cup hot water (120 to 130 degrees)
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white rice flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces (113 grams) boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
6 ounces (170 grams) medium-large shrimp, (31 to 40 per pound), peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise, and halved crosswise
⅓ cup canned coconut milk
6 ounces (170 grams) (3 cups) bean sprouts, divided
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Nuoc Cham
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
⅔ cup hot water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
Crepes
1 head Boston lettuce (8 ounces/227 grams), leaves separated and left whole
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and thin stems
1 cup hot water (120 to 130 degrees)
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white rice flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces (113 grams) boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
6 ounces (170 grams) medium-large shrimp, (31 to 40 per pound), peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise, and halved crosswise
⅓ cup canned coconut milk
6 ounces (170 grams) (3 cups) bean sprouts, divided
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Nuoc Cham
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
⅔ cup hot water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
Crepes
1 head Boston lettuce (8 ounces/227 grams), leaves separated and left whole
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and thin stems
1 cup hot water (120 to 130 degrees)
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white rice flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces (113 grams) boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
6 ounces (170 grams) medium-large shrimp, (31 to 40 per pound), peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise, and halved crosswise
⅓ cup canned coconut milk
6 ounces (170 grams) (3 cups) bean sprouts, divided
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Vietnamese crepes (or bánh xèo) are crispy rice flour and coconut milk crepes studded with pork and shrimp that are cut into pieces and tucked inside lettuce leaves with fresh Thai basil and cilantro and then dipped in a bold and zesty nuoc cham sauce. Our crepe batter contains hot water, white rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and coconut milk. Using hot water helped minimize the gritty texture that rice flour can have, and cornstarch absorbed extra moisture so that the crepe could crisp properly. To preserve the texture of the first few crepes while making the last one, we held them on a rack in a 275-degree oven.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Stir the coconut milk thoroughly to combine before measuring when making these Vietnamese crepes. Although we prefer the flavor of regular coconut milk, light coconut milk can be substituted. If you can't find Thai basil leaves, substitute regular basil. Serve with Daikon-Carrot Pickle (Do Chua), if desired.
Instructions
- Using mortar and pestle (or using flat side of chef's knife on cutting board), mash 1 tablespoon sugar, Thai chile, and garlic to fine paste. Transfer to medium bowl and add hot water and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Divide sauce among 4 individual small serving bowls.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet, spray rack with vegetable oil spray, and set aside. Arrange lettuce, basil, and cilantro on serving platter. Whisk hot water, rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl until smooth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is no longer pink and onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add shrimp and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp just begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer mixture to second bowl. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Add coconut milk and 2 teaspoons oil to crepe batter and stir to combine.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add one-third of pork mixture and heat through until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Spread pork mixture over half of skillet. Pour ½ cup batter evenly over entire skillet. (Batter poured over filling will drain to skillet surface. If needed, tilt skillet gently to fill gaps.) Spread 1 cup bean sprouts over filling. Cook until crepe loosens completely from bottom of skillet with gentle shake, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until edges of crepe are lacy and crisp and underside is golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Gently fold unfilled side of crepe over sprouts. Slide crepe onto prepared wire rack and transfer to oven to keep warm. Repeat 2 more times with remaining oil, pork mixture, batter, and bean sprouts. When final crepe is cooked, use 2 spatulas to transfer all 3 crepes to cutting board and cut each crosswise into 1¼-inch-wide strips.
- Place crepes and greens in center of table, and give each diner 1 bowl of sauce. To eat, wrap individual strip of crepe and several leaves of basil and cilantro in lettuce leaf and dip into sauce.
for the nuoc cham
for the crepes
to serve
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