Savory Shrimp and Pork Crepes Recipe

Bánh xèo, or savory Vietnamese pork crepes, are made with a twist — using whole-grain brown rice flour and light beer, less oil and pork loin instead of pork belly.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Crepes

10 ounces pork loin
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
1¾ cups brown rice flour
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2¼ cups (530 milliliters) water
1 cup (240 milliliters) light beer
Cooking spray
½ cup chopped green onions or scallions
18 ounces small cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off
1 cup bean sprouts

Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) less-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) agave nectar
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) toasted sesame oil
½ cup (120 milliliters) water
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) Sriracha sauce

Toppings

12 bibb lettuce leaves
½ cup pickled daikon, sliced
½ cup carrots, peeled and julienned

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
2. Season both sides of pork loin with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Place in an oven-safe baking dish or on a cookie sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
3. Allow pork to rest at least 3 minutes. Thinly slice and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, stir together flour, turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt.
5. Stir in water and beer. Let batter rest for about 30 minutes.
6. Coat a small nonstick pan with cooking spray. Place on stovetop over medium-high heat.
7. Add green onions to batter and stir.
8. Ladle ⅓ cup batter into the pan and swirl it around in a circular motion to coat the pan in a thin layer.
9. Place 2 to 3 shrimp and 1 to 2 pork slices on one side of the crepe, then sprinkle a few bean sprouts on top. Cover the pan and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Uncover and use a flexible spatula to gently loosen the crepe around the edge of the pan. Use the spatula to fold the crepe in half. Remove from pan and place on a plate.
11. Repeat with remaining batter, shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, making sure to spray the pan before each crepe.
12. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, agave, sesame oil, water, garlic, rice vinegar and Sriracha sauce.
13. Serve each crepe wrapped in bibb lettuce with daikon and carrots and a side of sesame soy dipping sauce.

Cooking Note

Find pickled daikon at natural food stores or an Asian grocer. Finely chopped fresh radishes may be substituted. To make brown rice flour, blend 1¾ cup uncooked brown rice in a grain mill or high-powered blender. For a more traditional dipping sauce, use fish sauce instead of soy sauce.

Nutrition Information

Serves 6
Serving size: 1 crepe (230 grams)

472 calories, 9g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 168mg cholesterol, 818mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 6g sugar, 35g protein, N/A potassium, N/A phosphorus

This recipe originally appeared in Food & Nutrition Magazine^®, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.