Take Another Look

At a glance, today’s entry looks to be an omelet, doesn’t it?  No eggs were involved this week, though.  Instead, we have a rice-flour crepe, lightly thin and pan-seared to crispy perfection, barely able to contain all the goodness within its grasp.  This is Bánh Xèo (in English, pronounced “bun sale”), a street food made popular in Vietnam and described in Food & Wine‘s September 2018 issue.

It starts with a good rice flour, which is finer and smoother than is AP flour:

After adding a sufficient quantity of water, thinly-sliced scallions are mixed in, along with coconut milk.  This last ingredient is a supplement to the original recipe and is what makes this a bánh xèo in the Saigon style.  Finally, a dash of dried turmeric joins the party and the batter is complete:

As you can see, the turmeric barely colors the batter.  Only as the heat puts the spurs to it does the turmeric activate, lending a yolky yellow shade that offers the incorrect assumption eggs are involved.

Meanwhile, thinly-sliced pork, shallots and mushrooms accompany shrimp in a skillet and are lightly sautéed.  Just enough batter is poured in to cover the bottom of the pan, hence the name “xèo,” in imitation of the batter’s sizzle when it hits the hot skillet.  The pancake is thin enough to crisp quickly.  Bean sprouts are sprinkled on, then the bánh xèo is folded in half, over itself, and is served.

The result is light, crunchy and is bursting with all sorts of savory excellence.  However, the bánh xèo hasn’t yet reached the summit.  The idea is to cut (or tear) off a bite-size section, wrap it in some the greens served alongside, then to dip the package in a bit of the spicy-tangy sauce made just for that purpose.   Then…rapture.  Incredible.

This may look like an omelet, but bánh xèo is lighter, crispier and so much tastier than that.  Never was unmasking disguises such delicious work.

*****

Bánh Xèo

(Vietnamese Sizzling Pancakes)

For the sauce:

• 2 Thai chilies, thickly sliced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (*1)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons water

For the batter:

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups cold water (*2)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk, optional; read Note 2 below

For the filling:

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more to replenish supply as each new pancake is cooked (*3)
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thinly crosswise
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups shitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced (*4)
• 1 cup thinly-sliced yellow onion (*5)
• salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
• 2 and 1/2 cups bean sprouts

Make the pancakes by whisking together in a medium bowl the rice flour, water and coconut milk, if using.  Whisk in the turmeric and scallions until well-blended. (*6)

Make the dipping sauce by grinding the chilies, garlic and sugar in a mortar and pestle, until it forms a thick slurry.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and 2 tablespoons of water.  Set aside.

Make the bánh xèo:

Place a nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium flame.  Pour in the oil.  When it shimmers, add 3 slices of pork, 3 shrimp, some of the mushrooms and some of the onion.  Season with salt and pepper and saute until lightly-browned, one minute, flipping the meat halfway through (i.e., after 30 seconds).

Push the meat to one half of the skillet, while leaving the mushrooms and onion in place.  Pour in a about a third a cup of the batter, swirling the skillet so the batter evenly coats the pan bottom.  Cover and cook, undisturbed, until the pancake edges begin to brown and curl.

Turn off heat and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of bean sprouts over the pancake.  Fold the pancake in half over itself.  Slide the bánh xèo onto a warm serving plate and repeat the above paragraphs (everything following “Make the bánh xèo:”) until the ingredients are gone. (*7)

Serve with the dipping sauce and various leafy greens of your choosing.  Bibb lettuce, mint leaves, cilantro, Thai basil and mustard greens are good ideas.

NOTES:

1 – Though I still have palm sugar in the fridge, granulated sugar is better in this case, as its grainy structure helps to grind the other ingredient while preparing the sauce.

2 – This ratio, 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup of coconut milk, is good for making Saigon-type bánh xèo.    If you want to do without the coconut milk, increase the water to 2 and 1/4 cups.  The pancakes won’t be quite as savory, though.

3 – Vegetable oil is fine, but as I chose Saigon-style cooking, and consequently used coconut oil, as it complements the milk in the batter.

4 – This works out to about ten ounces of raw shitakes, which when stemmed and the caps are sliced, yields about two cups.

5 – Naturally, I used shallots, about two large bulbs.

6 – It’s best to let the batter sit for at least half an hour, to allow the flavors to blend and the batter to smoothen.  Therefore, I made it the first step in the recipe.

7 – In between batches I wiped out the skillet with paper towels, to remove any residue and to give each pancake a “fresh start.”

 

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