Best Crispy Vietnamese CrÊpes With Shrimp Pork And Bean Sprouts Recipes

BáNH XèO (VIETNAMESE SIZZLING PANCAKES / CREPêS)

Steps:

• Combine all batter ingredients except scallions in a large bowl for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Add scallions only right before making the crêpes.
• Steam or soak mung beans in water until soft.
• Boil pork until cooked through and soft, then slice thinly.
• Wash bean sprouts and veggies.
• On medium-high heat add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and some onions
• Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing until very lightly browned and fragrant.
• Pour in some batter and quickly tilt & rotate the pan so the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it wasn't enough to cover the pan. There should only be a thin layer of batter that almost flakes off at the pan edges where it's thinner. If your batter doesn't do that and is too thick, add a few tbsp water to the batter and mix to thin it out.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add some mung beans, bean sprouts, and cover with a lid for about 3 minutes, or until bean sprouts are slightly cooked. The batter should also be slightly cooked and transparent around the edges. This step cooks the top side of the ingredients and batter while it steams since we won't be flipping the crepe.
• Remove the lid, lower heat to medium-low and wait for the crêpe to become crisp. This takes about 5-7 minutes. This step lets the ingredients fully cook through, including the batter. It also lets steam escape so the batter can crisp up. Brush on a little oil around the edges if you're not seeing or hearing enough batter to pan contact. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately. For batter troubleshooting please see the troubleshooting section in the post above.

VIETNAMESE SHRIMP AND PORK CREPES (BANH XEO)

Steps:

• Make crêpe batter:
• Cover dried mung beans with water by 2 inches in a bowl and soak at room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water until water runs clear.
• Purée drained mung beans, coconut milk, and water (6 tablespoons) in a blender (mixture may appear curdled). Add rice flour, sugar, turmeric, and salt and purée until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
• Make dipping sauce:
• Stir together sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
• Make filling:
• Cut pork across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut slices into 2 1/2- by 1/2-inch strips. Stir together pork, shrimp, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
• Mince enough of lower portion of lemongrass stalk to measure 2 teaspoons.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry onion, mushrooms, lemongrass, garlic, and pepper until mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes. Make a well in center of mixture and add shrimp and pork and stir-fry until shrimp turns pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl. (Shrimp and pork will not be cooked through.)
• Cook crépes:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir batter, then pour 1/2 cup into skillet, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. Sprinkle one fourth of fresh bean sprouts over half of crpe, then stir filling and spoon one fourth of filling evenly on top of bean sprouts. Sprinkle one fourth of scallions on top. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook, covered, until edge of crpe begins to pull away from side of skillet (check occasionally), about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook crépe, uncovered, until underside and edge are crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes more (lift with a spatula to check underside; shrimp and pork will be fully cooked). Fold crépe over and gently slide onto a large rack on a large baking pan and keep warm in oven. Make 3 more crépes with remaining oil, batter, bean sprouts, filling, and scallions in same manner.
• Have each guest tear crépes in half and wrap each half in lettuce, then tuck in herbs. Serve with lime wedges and dipping sauce.