85. Bánh Xèo

If you don’t have golden mountain seasoning sauce, just use soy sauce, anything that gives the mushrooms a bit of colour and savoury flavour. Be careful to choose a non-stick pan, or a well seasoned cast iron pan, this is more important that having one in the correct size. I don’t have a 30cm non-stick pan, so I used a larger one, and that’s why my pancakes don’t have a uniform and clean shape. But oh well, still crispy!

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Fry the sliced mushrooms in the tablespoon of oil and golden mountain seasoning sauce until cooked and all the released liquid has evaporated.

Step 2

Combine the dry ingredients for the batter, before adding the wet ingredients and spring onion and mixing to make a thin batter. Set this aside to rest for at least half an hour.

Step 3

Whisk together the ingredients for the Nuoc Cham, and taste, adjusting with a little sugar, vinegar, or fish sauce until you have a balanced, tangy sauce. Set aside until serving.

Step 4

Heat a 30cm frying pan over medium-high heat, and use 2 tbsp of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a quarter of the batter mixture to the hot oil, swirling it around to cover the pan. Cook for a few minutes, before adding a quarter of the fillings to just one half of the pancake. Cook the pancake for about 10 minutes total.

Step 5

Fold over the crispy pancake batter and serve with the lettuce leaves, mint, and Nuoc Cham. Eat by cutting off pieces of Banh Xeo, wrapping in lettuce leaves and mint, and drizzling Nuoc Cham before taking a bite.