7/20/2021 Bánh Xèo (Sizzling Vietnamese Crepes) | America's Test Kitchen

Bánh Xèo (Sizzling

Vietnamese Crepes)
SERVES Serves 4
TIME 1¾ hours
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Vietnamese 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.

INGREDIENTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN

*
Nuoc Cham Stir the coconut milk thoroughly to combine before
3 tablespoons sugar, divided measuring. Although we prefer the flavor of regular
coconut milk, light coconut milk can be substituted. If you
1 small Thai chile, stemmed
can't find Thai basil leaves, substitute regular basil. Serve
and minced
with Daikon-Carrot Pickle (Do Chua), if desired.
1 garlic clove, minced

⅔ cup hot water

5 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

Crepes
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1 head Boston lettuce (8 INSTRUCTIONS

ounces), leaves separated
1 FOR THE NUOC CHAM: Using mortar and pestle
and left whole
(or using flat side of chef's knife on cutting board), mash 1
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves tablespoon sugar, Thai chile, and garlic to fine paste.
Transfer to medium bowl and add hot water and remaining
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves,
2 tablespoons sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in
and thin stems
fish sauce and lime juice. Divide sauce among 4 individual
1 cup hot water (120 to 130 small serving bowls.
degrees)

½ cup (3 ounces) white rice 2 FOR THE CREPES: Adjust oven rack to middle
flour position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Set wire rack in
rimmed baking sheet, spray rack with vegetable oil spray,
3 tablespoons cornstarch
and set aside. Arrange lettuce, basil, and cilantro on
½ teaspoon ground turmeric serving platter. Whisk hot water, rice flour, cornstarch,
turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl until smooth.
½ teaspoon table salt,
divided
3 Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over
3 tablespoons vegetable oil,
medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork and onion
divided
and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is no longer pink
4 ounces boneless country- and onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add shrimp and
style pork ribs, trimmed and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring
cut into 2-inch-long occasionally, until shrimp just begin to turn pink, about 2
matchsticks minutes longer. Transfer mixture to second bowl. Wipe
skillet clean with paper towels. Add coconut milk and 2
1 small red onion, halved
teaspoons oil to crepe batter and stir to combine.
and sliced thin

6 ounces medium-large
shrimp, (31 to 40 per
pound), peeled, deveined,
halved lengthwise, and
halved crosswise

⅓ cup canned coconut milk

6 ounces (3 cups) bean

sprouts, divided

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4 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.

5 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.

6 TO SERVE: 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.

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