VIETNAMESE CREPE WITH PORK & SHRIMP (BAHN XEO)

Vietnamese Crepe or Bahn Xeo is a savory dish with turmeric, cilantro, ground pork, and shrimp. Dad and food truck extraordinaire, chef Kyle Kawakami, showed me how to put this dish together to feed the family. Man this is tasty!! By the way, the name means “sizzling cake". This is meant to be eaten with your hands which I found to be difficult, lol, but definitely dip it into the amazing dipping sauce. Kyle serves up some greens with it and makes his own "lilikoi sauce". You can add the greens into the crepe, which adds a nice extra flavor.

INGREDIENTS: 

Batter 
1 ⅓ cups rice flour
1 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp salt 
½ tsp white sugar 
Pinch of white pepper (optional)
¾ cup coconut milk 
1 ¼ cup water 
3 green onions, thinly sliced 
Peanut oil or vegetable oil as needed for cooking 

Filling 
2 tbsp sesame oil 
1 shallot, thinly sliced 
1 lb ground pork 
1 tsp fish sauce 
1 lb prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined 
1 handful shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 
2 handfuls beansprouts 
Small handful fresh mint, roughly chopped 
Small handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped 
Small handful Thai basil, roughly chopped 
½ cup dried mung beans, steamed or soaked until soft (optional) 

Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
⅓ cup fish sauce 
Juice of 1 lime
3 bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced into rings 
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 
2 tbsp palm or white sugar 
1 tbsp finely chopped cucumber 
1 green onion, finely chopped 

Side Salad/Garnishes
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Fresh cilantro
Fresh mint 

Tools
Mixing bowls
Wok or large pan 
Crepe pan or non-stick pan
Cutting board 
Knife 

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the crepe batter, combine the flour, turmeric, salt, sugar, and white pepper in a large bowl and create a well in the center. 
2. Slowly add the water and coconut milk and gently whisk to create a smooth batter. Set aside. 
3. For the filling, heat the sesame oil in a wok or large pan and sauté the shallots for about 1 minute. 
4. Add the ground pork and fish sauce and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring well. 
5. Add the prawns and shiitake mushrooms and cook over medium heat until the prawns are cooked through and the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated. 
6. Remove from heat. At this point, you can toss in the mung beans and bean sprouts, if using, toss, and cover to steam for 1-2 minutes. 
7. To make the crepes, heat your crepe pan (or non-stick pan) over medium-high heat and grease it with about 1 tsp of oil. Once the pan is hot, pour in a ladleful of batter and quickly swirl the pan so the batter forms a circle that covers the pan. 
8. Immediately follow with a handful of filling, scattering it evenly over one half of the crepe but not too close to the edge. (Aim to divide the filling into 4-6 portions, depending on how large your pan is.) 
9. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the edges are crisping up. 5-6 minutes will give you a crispy edge. To check, slowly lift up one edge of the crepe with a spatula to check the level of doneness. 
10. Once cooked to your liking, lift the unfilled half of the crepe and fold over, carefully slide onto a plate, and add some fresh mint, cilantro, basil, and/or bean sprouts inside the crepe, if desired. 
11. Serve immediately with the side salad or large lettuce leaves to wrap the crepe in (if using your hands) and dipping sauce. 
12. Eat with your hands or grab a fork and knife like I did and dip into that sauce. TASTY!