Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Banh Xeo/Sizzling Crepe

    Sizzling Crêpes (Banh Xeo) are paper-thin omelets stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, wrapped in lettuce and herbs, and dipped in a sweet-tart dipping sauce. Banh xeo ("bahn SAY-oh") is a popular street snack in Vietnam, especially the south. The name means "sound crepe," and it indicates the sound the batter makes when it hits the hot pan. I wish to visit Vietnam one day and until i do, this recipe will do.


    Ingredients:

    Crepe Batter
    Rice flour -- 1 cup
    Sugar -- 1/2 teaspoon
    Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
    Turmeric -- 1/4 teaspoon
    Coconut milk -- 1 cup
    Water -- about 1/2 cup
    Scallions - chopped - 1/4 cup


    Filling(Variations are at bottom of page)
    Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
    Shallots or scallions, minced -- 2-3 tablespoons
    Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
    Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 3/4 pound
    Fish sauce -- 2-3 tablespoons
    Salt -- to taste
    Mung bean sprouts

    Garnishes
    1 head red leaf lettuce or green lettuce, washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole
    1 cup loosely packed fresh thai basil
    1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

    Nuoc Cham dipping sauce -- recipe is at bottom of page

    Method:

    For the crepes:

    Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 200 degrees.


    Whisk the water, rice flour, coconut milk, scallions, turmeric, sugar and salt together until uniform. Add in chopped scallions/spring onions.


    Heat the oil in a wok/skillet over medium-high flame and add shallots or scallions and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes without browning.


    Add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the fish sauce and salt to season. Remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside.


    Wipe out the wok/skillet (i used the crepe pan) and reheat over medium flame. Add a small amount of oil.


    Stir the crepe batter well and pour 1/2 cup batter(amount depends on the size of pan) into the wok/skillet/crepe pan. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom.


    Lay 3 or 4 of the cooked shrimp over one half of the crepe and then sprinkle a small handful of sprouts over the shrimp.


    When the the middle of the crepe looks cooked through and the edges of the crepe begin to brown, fold the crepe over to cover the filling and slide onto a plate.


    Hold in a warm oven as you finish the rest of the crepes.

    Serve the crêpes with the individual bowls of sauce, passing the garnish platter separately.


    (To eat, slice off a wedge of the crêpe, wrap it in a lettuce leaf, and dip it into the sauce.).


    .
    Variations
    Pork Banh Xeo: Substitute half of the shrimp with pork loin or pork belly cut in thin strips. Sauté the shallots and garlic first, then add the pork to cook through, and finally add the shrimp.

    Vegetarian Banh Xeo: Substitute fried, shredded tofu for the shrimp to make a vegetarian version. Add a variety of mushrooms to give a meaty flavor. Use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

    Banh Xeo with Egg: Beat 4-5 eggs and pour a little over each crepe after you add the batter to the skillet, but before you add the fillings. Cover the pan for about a minute to let the egg set, then continue with the filling ingredients.

    Sauté some sliced mushrooms with the rest of the filling.

    Include some peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumber or julienne carrot with the rest of the salad ingredients if you like.



    Nuoc cham is the all-purpose Vietnamese condiment served with and poured over many dishes. Its salty-sour flavor is wonderfully bright and fresh. Nuoc cham will keep for about a week in the refridgerator.

    About 1 cup
    Water -- 1/4 cup
    Fish sauce -- 1/4 cup
    Lime juice -- 3 tablespoons
    Unseasoned rice vinegar, unseasoned -- 2 tablespoons
    Sugar -- 2 tablespoons
    Garlic, crushed -- 1 clove
    Chile pepper, sliced into rounds -- 1
    Carrot, shredded or julienne -- 1 tablespoon

    Serves
    Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2009/03/banh-xeosizzling-crepe.html
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