Hue pancake

By: Luke Nguyen
From: The Food of Vietnam
Serves: 4-6
Photographer: Alan Benson

There are many different pancakes or crêpes in Vietnam. In the central regions, they are small and wrapped with rice paper; in the south, they are much larger and wrapped with young mustard green leaves, and known as ‘Banh xeo’, meaning ‘sizzling crêpe’. Hue, however, has its own version, called ‘Banh khoai’, which is smaller, much thicker, and crispier.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	vegetable oil, for stir-frying
2	garlic cloves, crushed
200g	raw school prawns, legs and heads trimmed
200g	boneless raw pork belly, fat trimmed, thinly sliced
2	eggs, beaten
2	spring onions, sliced
500g	bean sprouts
	Hue hoisin dipping sauce, to serve

Batter

Quantity	Ingredient
100g	rice flour
25g	plain flour
1 teaspoon	ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon	sea salt
1/2 teaspoon	ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon	bicarbonate of soda
150ml	coconut cream
150ml	soda water

For serving

Quantity	Ingredient
	lettuce leaves, washed
1 bunch	perilla, leaves picked
1 bunch	mint, leaves picked
1 bunch	vietnamese mint, leaves picked
1	star fruit, sliced

Method

Combine all the batter ingredients in a bowl. Whisk well and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry off the prawns and pork. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, half the crushed garlic and all the prawns, and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Remove the prawns and set aside.
Wipe the pan clean, then place back over medium heat. Add another 1 tablespoon oil, the remaining crushed garlic and the pork belly, and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Set aside.
Arrange the lettuce leaves, herbs and star fruit on a large platter.
Heat a 20 cm heavy-based non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Once the oil is hot, add a thin layer of batter to the pan, swirling to coat the base of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the beaten eggs, then add some prawns, pork, spring onion and bean sprouts.
Fry for 2 minutes, or until the base of the pancake is crisp and browned. Fold the pancake in half and slide it out of the pan.
Repeat this process with the remaining batter and filling ingredients.
Eat the pancake with the lettuce, herbs and star fruit, with Hue hoisin dipping sauce on the side.