Crispy Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, cornstarch, salt and turmeric. Add coconut milk and water and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.

Step 2

Thinly slice the scallions and set aside. We will add it right before making the crepe.

Step 3

Prep all ingredients for the filling: thinly slice onion, thinly slice pork, thinly slice shallot, peel and devein shrimps.

Step 4

Place a pan over medium high heat. Add oil, and then add onion slices. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion loses its rawness while still crunchy. Transfer to a clean plate.

Step 5

In the same pan over medium high heat, add shallot and sauté until fragrant. Add pork in one single layer and let it cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. After that, add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and black pepper and stir-fry until pork is fully cooked. Transfer to clean plate.

Step 6

In that same pan, make sure it's at medium high heat. Add shrimps and sear both sides until they are fully cooked. Season with a pinch of salt. Transfer to clean plate. If your shrimps are large, cut in half length-wise.

Step 7

Whisk together lime juice, water, fish sauce and sugar. Taste and adjust to your liking and then add minced garlic. Set aside.

Step 8

Add thinly sliced scallions to the batter and stir well.

Step 9

If using the same pan, wipe it clean. Place it over medium to medium high heat, add oil to coat the pan. If you use a 12-inch pan, pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan and quickly swirl the pan to cover the bottom. The batter should sizzle right after you pour it into the pan. If you use a small or larger pan, adjust the amount of batter: use just enough to coat the bottom with a thin layer.

Step 10

In the beginning, the crepe will look soft. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. When you see that the bottom is about to crisp up (you can use a spatula to check the bottom), spread 1/2 cup of bean sprouts on one side of the crepe. Let it cook for 20-30 seconds.

Step 11

Continue to spread 1/3 of the onion, pork and shrimp on the same side where you just put the bean sprouts.

Step 12

Continue to cook the crepe for 2-3 more minutes until it is crispy. If you feel more oil is needed, drizzle some oil around the rim of the pan. Also pay attention to the heat, if you see that it develops colors too fast while it's not quite crispy yet, lower the heat slightly.

Step 13

When the crepe is crispy to your liking, use a spatula to fold the half without filling over the other half. Then slide it out of the pan or use spatulas to transfer it to a serving plate.

Step 14

Continue with remaining batter and filling. Wipe the pan clean after you finish each crepe.

Step 15

Serve the crepes hot with lettuce and herbs on the side and dipping sauce.