Sizzling Vietnamese Crêpes by Uyen Luu

Servings: 6-8 crêpes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 chilies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
Approx. 1 cup + 5 tbsp (300 ml) water
5 tbsp fish sauce

For the meat and batter:
3 oz. of pork Belly
1/2 pound of prawns devein and halved
1 cup (200g) rice flour
15.5 fl oz (400 ml) coconut milk
1 & 3/4 cup (400 ml) water
1 & 1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup of bean sprouts

For serving and eating:
6 lettuce leaves
12 sprigs of cilantro (coriander)
12 sprigs of mint leaf

Direction:

For the Dipping Sauce
1. To prepare the dipping sauce, mix together the garlic and the chillies, and add the cider vinegar to allow the garlic and chillies to 'cook' briefly.

2. Add the sugar, the water, and the fish sauce, stir thoroughly, and then place to one side until you are ready to serve.

For the Crêpes
1. Start by chopping the pork thinly and then mincing it with a cleaver. Place the pork into a bowl with a large pinch of salt.

2. Prepare the batter by mixing together the rice flour, the coconut milk, the water, the turmeric, the salt and the sugar. Finely chop the green tops of the spring onion, and add this to the batter, and mix thoroughly until the batter becomes lump-free.

3. Heat up a small frying pan to a medium heat, and add 1 tsp of vegetable oil. Fry about a sixth of the thinly sliced onion, a couple of prawns, and 3 or 4 pieces of pork belly, until the prawns and pork are almost cooked.

4. To the pan add a large ladleful of batter, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and then cover it with a lid and allow the pancake to fry for about 1 minute.

5. Add a large handful of bean sprouts to the pancake, close the lid again and allow it to cook for a further minute. Using a spatula gently fold the pancake in half, and serve immediately.

For serving and eating:
1. For serving, simply place a piece of the pancake into a lettuce leaf, add some cilantro and mint, and serve alongside the dipping sauce.