Crispy Vegetable-Stuffed Crepe

Bahn Xeo
Makes 6 crepes; serves 12

This Vietnamese yellow-tinged crepe is crispy and eggless and encases a cache of crunchy fresh vegetables. The table salad platter (dia rau) and dipping sauce are traditional accompaniments

Fish sauce and lime dipping sauce

Table Salad Platter
2 heads lettuce, washed and leaves separated
2 cups (4 oz/125 g) finely julienned, peeled carrots
2 small English (hothouse) cucumbers, peeled and julienned
2 cups (1 oz/30 g) loosely packed fresh mint leaves
12 pickled shallots, sliced (optional)

Crepe Batter
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) rice flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt, sugar and ground turmeric
3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) coconut milk
1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/310 ml) water, or as needed
2 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced

Filling
6 oz (185 g) boneless and skinless chicken breast or thigh meat
6 oz (185 g) shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
6 large fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced
1 lb (500 g) bean sprouts, blanched for 5 seconds and drained

Prepare the dipping sauce and the table salad platter and set aside.

To make the crepe batter, in a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and turmeric. Stir in the coconut milk and 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 310 ml) water. Add more water if needed to form the consistency of a thin pancake batter. Stir in the green onions and set aside.

To make the filling, cut the chicken into 1/3-inch (9-mm) dice and cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside.

Heat a 9-inch (23-cm) nonstick flat-bottomed wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add about 2 teaspoons of the oil and tilt the pan to spread the oil evenly over the bottom and sides. Pour off the excess oil into a bowl and reserve. Add one-sixth each of the garlic, chicken and shrimp and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then spread the mixture evenly over the pan bottom.

Stir the batter briefly and pour 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) of the batter into the pan, tilting the pan to spread a thin film across the bottom and up the sides. Scatter one-sixth each of the mushrooms, bell pepper and bean sprouts over one-half of the batter. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook until steam seeps out from under the lid, about 3 minutes. Remove the cover and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until the crêpe shrinks away from the pan sides, appears dry and has a crisp bottom, about 1 minute longer. Using a spatula, fold the crêpe in half like an omelet, slide it onto a plate and serve at once. Repeat with the remaining oil, filling and batter.

To serve, cut each crepe crosswise into 4 or 5 sections. Take 1 lettuce leaf and place some carrot, cucumber, mint leaves, and pickled shallots, if using, into the center of the leaf. Top with a section of the crêpe and roll up the leaf to enclose it. Dip into the dipping sauce and eat out of hand.


Per Serving
Calories: 201
Carbohydrates: 24g
Fat: 8g
Sodium: 390mg
Cholesterol: 26mg
Protein: 11g