Bánh Xèo Miền Trung

Name: Bánh Xèo Miền Trung
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup rice flour; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 3/4 cup filtered water; 1/2 cup light beer; 3 tbsp canned coconut milk; 3 med scallions; 1/2 lb pork belly; 1/2 lb small raw shrimp; 2 med shallot; 1 tsp fish sauce; 1/2 tsp sugar; 1/8 tsp black pepper; 2 cup fresh bean sprouts; 1/2 med yellow onion; 3 tbsp peanut oil; 1/4 lb pork liver; 1/4 lb ground pork; 2 small garlic; 1 tbsp annatto oil; 2 tbsp hoisin sauce; 1/4 cup roasted peanuts; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 1 tsp cornstarch; 12 med Vietnamese rice paper; 1 large leafy green lettuce; 2 cup mixed Vietnamese herbs; 1 med Granny Smith apple; 1 med cucumber

Bánh Xèo Miền Trung·(bahn-seow mee-en-troong)

Cuốn: The Weekend Gathering Table

Growing up in the Midwest, the sound of Sunday afternoon was the violent, beautiful sizzle of batter hitting smoking hot oil. Unlike the massive, flimsy crepes of the South that get all the Hollywood attention, these are small, shatteringly crunchy, and born in cast iron. The grandmother's secret here is a splash of cheap beer in the batter for an airy, lace-like crunch, and rendering pork fat directly into the peanut oil. Served with a deeply savory Da Nang-style liver and peanut dipping sauce, this is a masterclass in regional cooking that transports the weekend gathering table straight to a bustling Vietnamese alleyway.

Ingredients

rice flour1 1/2 cup
cornstarch1/4 cup
ground turmeric1 tsp
kosher salt1/2 tsp
filtered water3/4 cup
light beer1/2 cup
canned coconut milk3 tbsp
scallions3 med
pork belly1/2 lb
small raw shrimp1/2 lb
shallot2 med
fish sauce1 tsp
sugar1/2 tsp
black pepper1/8 tsp
fresh bean sprouts2 cup
yellow onion1/2 med
peanut oil3 tbsp
pork liver1/4 lb
ground pork1/4 lb
garlic2 small
annatto oil1 tbsp
hoisin sauce2 tbsp
roasted peanuts1/4 cup
toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
cornstarch1 tsp
Vietnamese rice paper12 med
leafy green lettuce1 large
mixed Vietnamese herbs2 cup
Granny Smith apple1 med
cucumber1 med

Method

01
Whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, salt, water, beer, and coconut milk in a large bowl until perfectly smooth.
Stir in the sliced scallions and let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the rice starches hydrate fully, preventing a powdery crepe.
02
Toss the sliced pork belly and shrimp in a small bowl with half the minced shallot, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper.
Let the proteins sit and marinate while the batter rests.
03
Heat the annatto oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the remaining shallot and garlic until fragrant.
Add the minced liver and ground pork, browning for about three minutes before stirring in the hoisin sauce and a half cup of water.
04
Simmer the sauce for five minutes, stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken, and finish with the crushed peanuts and sesame seeds.
Remove from heat and keep the sauce warm while you cook the crepes.
05
Place an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot, and add a tablespoon of peanut oil.
Cast iron is strictly necessary here; it holds the immense, even heat required for the batter to fry instantly upon contact.
06
Drop two slices of pork and a few shrimp into the pan, searing for thirty seconds until the pork fat begins to render.
The rendered pork fat will mix with the cooking oil to fry the batter, embedding a deep, savory flavor right into the crust.
07
Stir the resting batter, then ladle a third of a cup around the absolute edges of the hot pan.
It should hiss violently. Immediately tilt and swirl the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter into a thin, even layer up the sides.
08
Toss a small handful of bean sprouts and a few onion slices onto one half of the crepe, immediately cover with a lid, and steam for one minute.
This cooks the top of the batter and lightly blanches the sprouts.
09
Remove the lid, drizzle a half teaspoon of oil around the outer rim of the crepe, and fry uncovered for another two minutes.
Cook until the edges pull away from the pan and the bottom is deeply golden and rigid.
10
Fold the crepe in half over the sprouts using a spatula, and transfer to a wire rack to maintain its crispness.
Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately, tearing off pieces of the hot crepe to roll up in damp rice paper with lettuce, fresh herbs, and tart apple, dunking generously into the warm liver sauce.

From Cook Vietnamese in America.

Bánh Xèo Miền Trung

Ingredients

Method

Whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, salt, water, beer, and coconut milk in a large bowl until perfectly smooth.

Toss the sliced pork belly and shrimp in a small bowl with half the minced shallot, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper.

Heat the annatto oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the remaining shallot and garlic until fragrant.

Simmer the sauce for five minutes, stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken, and finish with the crushed peanuts and sesame seeds.

Place an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot, and add a tablespoon of peanut oil.

Drop two slices of pork and a few shrimp into the pan, searing for thirty seconds until the pork fat begins to render.

Stir the resting batter, then ladle a third of a cup around the absolute edges of the hot pan.

Toss a small handful of bean sprouts and a few onion slices onto one half of the crepe, immediately cover with a lid, and steam for one minute.

Remove the lid, drizzle a half teaspoon of oil around the outer rim of the crepe, and fry uncovered for another two minutes.

Fold the crepe in half over the sprouts using a spatula, and transfer to a wire rack to maintain its crispness.