A large, thin, crispy rice flour and coconut milk crepe (bánh xèo — 'sizzling cake,' named for the sound it makes when the batter hits the hot pan) filled with prawns, pork, bean sprouts, and spring onion, served with a large herb plate and lettuce leaves for wrapping, with nước chấm for dipping. Bánh xèo is a central and southern Vietnamese preparation — its technique (the extremely thin, crispy batter, the open-pan rather than sealed-pan cooking) produces a crepe that is simultaneously crisp and slightly chewy, its lace-like edges charred and crunchy.
**The batter:** - Rice flour: 200g. - Coconut milk: 200ml (for the distinctive slightly sweet, coconut-flavoured crepe). - Water: 200ml. - Turmeric: 1 teaspoon (provides the characteristic vivid yellow colour). - Salt: a pinch. - Spring onion: finely sliced into the batter. The batter should be thin — thinner than crêpe batter — the consistency of full-fat milk. **The pan:** A large (30–35cm), well-seasoned carbon-steel or cast-iron pan. The pan must be at maximum heat and well-oiled before each crepe — the lacy, crispy edges form only at this temperature. **The technique:** 1. Heat the pan at maximum heat with 2 tablespoons of oil until the oil is shimmering. 2. Add a small amount of filling (prawns, pork belly slices) and cook briefly. 3. Pour in approximately 120ml of batter, tilting the pan immediately to spread the batter as thinly as possible across the entire surface. The batter should crackle explosively on contact with the hot oil. 4. Add bean sprouts over the filling immediately. 5. Cover with a lid for 2–3 minutes until the batter is set and the edges are beginning to crisp. 6. Remove the lid. Continue cooking until the edges are deeply crisp and beginning to char in places. 7. Fold in half. Serve immediately. **The eating:** Tear a piece of the crispy crepe. Place in a lettuce leaf. Add herbs from the herb plate. Dip in nước chấm. Decisive moment: The pan temperature and the thinness of the batter pour. Bánh xèo's crispy, lacy edges form only when the thin batter hits an oiled pan at maximum heat and spreads immediately into a very thin film. A thicker batter or a cooler pan produces a soft, pale, doughy crepe — the opposite of the intended result.
Naomi Duguid & Jeffrey Alford, *Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia* (2000); Naomi Duguid, *Burma: Rivers of Flavor* (2012)