“This dish originates from Ho Chi Minh City’s speciality banh xeo,” says Lindsay. “The name ‘xeo’ (sizzling) comes from the sound the pancake batter makes when it hits the hot pan.”
Ingredients
Nuoc cham
Method
Main
1.Whisk coconut milk, eggs, rice flour, turmeric, sugar, vegetable oil and 500ml iced water in a large bowl until smooth and thin, then rest at room temperature for at least an hour.
2.Meanwhile, for nuoc cham, stir sugar and 150ml water in a bowl to dissolve, then add remaining ingredients, adjusting seasoning to taste; it should be sweet, sour, salty and spicy.
3.Heat a 23cm-diameter non-stick frying pan over high heat until very hot. Brush pan with 1 tsp oil and add one-sixth of coconut batter, swirling pan to cover the base and sides. Scatter over one-sixth of each of the pork, crab, bean sprouts, spring onion, chilli and ginger and cook until pancake is crisp (5-7 minutes), then invert onto a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve pancakes with iceberg lettuce leaves, coriander, mint and Vietnamese mint for wrapping, and nuoc cham sauce for dipping.
Char siu (or barbecue) pork is available from Chinese and Vietnamese barbecue shops.
This recipe is from the September 2011 issue of
.
Drink Suggestion: 2009 Bodega Castro Martin Albariño. Drink suggestion by Grant Van Every
Notes