Banh Xeo - Vietnamese Crepes

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb boneless pork loin
• 20 medium shrimp
• 10 fresh cilantro stems
• 10 fresh basil sprigs
• 10 fresh mint sprigs
• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 5 tablespoons oil
• nuoc cham sauce (1 batch; recipe ID #25375)
• red leaf lettuce

Directions

1. 1

   Place pork loin in a saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Allow pork to cool, then julienne into strips.

3. 3

   Shell and devein shrimp; slice each one in half lengthwise.

4. 4

   Rinse herbs and drain; set aside.

5. 5

   In a mixing bowl, prepare batter by mixing rice flour, self-rising flour, water, coconut milk, curry powder, sugar, salt, and green onion until smooth.

6. 6

   Divide pork, shrimp, onion, and bean sprouts into 5 separate little piles for easy access during cooking.

7. 7

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in non-stick frying pan until hot; cook pork shrimp and onion until it starts to sizzle; add 1/2 cup of batter and swirl to cover pan and get batter underneath.

8. 8

   Place one pile of bean sprouts towards the center of the crepe, then cover the pan tightly.

9. 9

   Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, then uncover and loosen edges of crepe and fold over with a spatula to form an omelette.

10. 10

    Transfer the crepe to a serving platter.

11. 11

    Repeat process with rest of batter.

12. 12

    Do not cover the cooked crepes or stack them (they will lose their crispness- they should remain light and airy).

13. 13

    To serve, place one crepe on a plate with some lettuce leaves, herbs also with a small bowl of nuoc cham.

14. 14

    The person cuts a portion of crepe, wraps it in a leaf of lettuce with some herbs, and dips it in the sauce.