Banh Xeo - How to Make Savory, Crispy Vietnamese Crepes!

There was a time when all I used to order at my favorite local Vietnamese was phở. Beef phở to be exact. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it given its robustly spiced and beefy body that makes it one of the kings of noodle soups. However, this doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't expand our tastes and explore other uniquely Vietnamese delicacies. I remember browsing through the menu of my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant, and wondering why there was this omelet looking appetizer that they called a crepe. I wondered, "does this have any similarities to the French dessert?", then decided to give it a go on a whim of spontaneity. To be completely honest with you, it's nothing like a French crepe and so much better (in my opinion!). Banh Xeo can be filled with anything you like so long as it's served with a heaping pile (not a few scraggly sprigs, please) of fresh mint, cilantro, and crunchy lettuce. If you're lucky, you can also use other types of herbs like fish mint (Rau Diep Ca), sorrel (Rau Chua), Vietnamese balm (Kinh Gioi), Vietnamese perilla (Tia To) if they're accessible to your local area. You also can't have banh xeo without a classic pairing of nước chấm or Vietnamese dipping sauce. It's sweet, salty, sour, and a touch spicy if you're a pepper fanatic like myself. If you love flavor, make yourself a banh xeo and you won't be disappointed!

Nước Chấm (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce):

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
chili to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until dissolved. Set aside while you prepare the crepe batter.

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crepe)

1/2 cup (80 g) rice flour
3 tablespoons (26 g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut milk
2/3 cup (160 ml) water
Shrimp (and pork if using), bean sprouts, and green onions for crepe filling
Mint, cilantro, and lettuce for serving

Combine dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk in coconut milk and water. Stir until smooth and clump-free.

In a large flat bottomed skillet, cook shrimp and pork if using until mostly cooked. Season with salt and pepper. It will continue cooking later when reheated inside the crepe. Remove shrimp and pork and set aside. Add a bit more oil in the pan, and place over medium high heat. Once the pan is scorching hot, pour in about half of the crepe batter and immediately rotate the pan so it's evenly coated on the bottom. Scatter over a layer of green onions. Add shrimp and pork on one half of the crepe along with bean sprouts. At this point, the crepe should be dry on the surface therefore it is done cooking. Also check the underside to see if it is golden brown. Fold in half and plate with a bunch of fresh mint, cilantro, and lettuce. Enjoy with the nước chấm!

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HOW TO MAKE TAIWANESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP: https://youtu.be/E3bWsIhGQrk

xo Shannon
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