{"id":6129,"date":"2014-06-09T03:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-06-09T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thekitchenpaper.com\/?p=6129"},"modified":"2017-03-22T16:54:23","modified_gmt":"2017-03-22T23:54:23","slug":"banh-xeo-sizzling-rice-pancake-pork-shrimp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thekitchenpaper.com\/banh-xeo-sizzling-rice-pancake-pork-shrimp\/","title":{"rendered":"B\u00e1nh X\u00e8o: Sizzling Rice Pancake with Pork and Shrimp"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"B\u00e1nh<\/p>\n

YAAY MORE VIETNAMESE FOOD! Derek and I had our first introduction to b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o one afternoon when we were STARVING. We'd just moved into our house here in Hoi An, and walked over to the market in hopes of finding food. We'd only ever been to the big market in the old town, which is much bigger and where the tourists go. At that big market they have food stall after food stall selling local food, so we anticipated the same at the much-more-real (read: only locals) market in our neighborhood. Not quite so.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00e1nh<\/p>\n

We arrived, really truly hungry out of our minds, and were slightly disappointed to see a lack of food stalls. Had we wanted heaps of fresh meat and veggies, we were in the right place (but a few hours late), but prepared food still eluded us. We finally wandered over to one woman, seated on a mini-stool with mini-benches and other mini-stools surrounding her, as she appeared to have SOME kind of food she was serving to two other women sitting with her. We approached and asked if we could buy whatever she was cooking. We still aren't sure exactly what happened next, but we're pretty sure the two women sitting there, having just been served one b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o each, got up and gave us their lunch. We tried to give it back to them, saying we could go somewhere else (by that point we gathered that there were no more b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o to be made and offered), but they were insistent that we sit and eat (we presume because we were charged 2x what they would have been charged, as is usual around here).<\/p>\n

\"B\u00e1nh<\/p>\n

So, we sat and ate someone else's b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o, feeling guilty for stealing their lunch but knowing we couldn't say \"no\" and walk away, either. They showed us how to open up the pancake, insert the fresh herb mix, and roll the whole thing up in rice paper. It was delicious! We were hooked, but sadly had to go elsewhere to fill our tummies that day. Luckily, we made some of these in our cooking class<\/a> {and our tummies were WAY TOO FULL by the end!}! The name b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o literally means \"sizzling cake\" because of the loud sizzling (and oil popping) that happens when you pour the batter into the pan. I'm not sure how to get around this, but you may want to consider wearing long gloves when you cook!<\/p>\n

\"B\u00e1nh<\/p>\n

The best part of b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o, along with most food we've been eating lately, is the herb salad you stuff into it. It's a mixture of all sorts of greens - mint, basil, thai basil, Vietnamese coriander, something called \"fish leaf,\" and a bunch of other greens. At home, I'd suggest any fragrant greens you can find! As for the rice paper, it will depend on what kinds you can find at home: if you only have the super-hard (will snap if you bend when dry) kind, you'll need to have warm water nearby to soften them slightly before wrapping. If you can find the thinner, more pliable kind of rice paper, use that dry. As you wrap it around the hot, oily pancake (I swear it's more appetizing than I just made it sound... food blogger fail right there), it will soften easily.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00e1nh<\/p>\nPrint<\/a><\/span>

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