Bánh Xèo – Vietnamese Crepes with Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the crepe batter

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  1 1/2 cups rice flour
  
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  1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  
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  1 cup water
  
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  1 teaspoon powdered turmeric (for color)
  
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  4 thinly sliced green onions
  
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  pinch of salt
  
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  oil for the frying pan
  

For the filling

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  8 ounces of pork shoulder, thinly sliced
  
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  8 ounces of peeled and deveined shrimp
  
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  bean sprouts
  
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  grated carrot
  
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  cilantro
  
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  butter leaf lettuce
  
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  oil for frying, if needed
  

Directions

For the crepe batter

1. In a blender, put the rice flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric and blend together until the mixture looks like pancake batter. If the batter is looking too thick, add more water a bit at a time and continue to blend. When you’re satisfied with the batter’s consistency, pour it into a mixing bowl and whisk the scallions vigorously into the batter and set aside while you make the dipping sauce and marinate the pork. (step 2)
2. After you’ve made the batter, it’s time to make the Nuoc Cham, dipping sauce. (also the marinade)
   In a mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons lime juice, a pinch of sugar, red pepper chile flakes and two smashed garlic cloves. Whisk together and set aside 1/2 of the Nuoc Cham for dipping, place it into the fridge and the other half of the Nuoc Cham, place into a separate bowl and toss the pork into. Let the pork marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

For the filling

1. Heat your pan to high and fry the pork until mostly cooked though and then add the shrimp, cooking until the shrimp are done.
   After the the pork and shrimp are cooked, set them aside in a bowl and make the crepes.
2. Returning the same pan to the heat, add another tablespoon of oil (if needed) and ladle in the crepe batter and cook the crepe until bubbly around the edges and turn over, like you would a pancake.
3. Spoon the shrimp and pork mixture onto the crepe and place the crepe on the lettuce leaf. Finish them with some grated carrot, cilantro and bean sprouts and enjoy with the dipping sauce!