Banh Xeo

Ingredients

• 220g rice flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 400ml coconut milk
• 300ml cold water
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 250g pork belly, thinly sliced
• 300g raw prawns, peeled
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 300g beansprouts
• 6 tbsp neutral oil
• 60ml fish sauce
• 60g sugar
• 60ml lime juice
• 180ml water, for the dipping sauce
• 2 garlic cloves and 1 chilli, minced
• 1 head soft lettuce, mint, perilla and coriander, to serve

Before you cook

• Whisk the rice flour, cornflour, turmeric and salt together in a bowl
• Pour in the coconut milk and cold water and whisk until completely smooth, then stir in the spring onions
• Rest the batter for 30 minutes; it should end up as thin as single cream, so add water if it thickens
• Slice the pork belly and onion thinly and peel the prawns
• Wash and dry the lettuce and herbs and pile them on a platter

Steps

1. Whisk the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and water together until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the garlic and chilli and set the sauce aside.
2. Heat a 24cm non-stick or well-seasoned pan over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of oil.
3. Fry a quarter of the pork belly for two minutes until the fat has rendered and the edges are golden.
4. Add a quarter of the prawns and onion and cook for one minute more.
5. Stir the batter, then pour a ladleful into the pan and immediately tilt and swirl it so the batter runs out to the rim in a thin sheet.
6. Scatter a handful of beansprouts over one half of the crepe.
7. Cover the pan and cook for two minutes so the sprouts steam.
8. Uncover and drizzle a little oil around the edge of the crepe.
9. Cook uncovered for another three to four minutes until the rim lifts away from the pan and the underside is deep gold and audibly crisp.
10. Fold the bare half over the beansprouts and slide the crepe onto a plate.
11. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling to make four crepes.
12. Bring the crepes to the table with the lettuce, herbs and dipping sauce, and eat by tearing off a piece, wrapping it in a lettuce leaf with herbs and dunking it.