Kiwanda wrote:
>
> Folks-
>
> I tried making Banh Xeo for the first time tonight and the result
> wasn't quite what I'd hoped for. I think I made the batter too thick,
> and perhaps didn't have enough oil in the pan...at any rate the
> pancake came out about as thick as a "regular" western pancake. When
> I've had Banh Xeo in resturants it's been more like a crepe and
> crispy. Is there a secret technique to making these right? Do I just
> need to cook them in a wok with a lot of oil, rather than trying to
> use a skillet?
>
> For those that may not be familiar with "Banh Xeo," it is often
> listed as "happy pancake" or "Hanoi pancake" on Vietnamese resturaunt
> menus. It's a thin, crispy pancake made of rice flour and coconut
> milk, filled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, etc. and eaten wrapped
> in lettuce with nuoc cham. They are *really* delicious...the ones I
> made tonight tasted OK but the texture was definately wrong as they
> were too thick/doughy.
>
> I'd appreciate any hints anyone can offer!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kiwanda

The Banh Xeo I've had are fairly thick - maybe 1/4" or
so, not counting the larger lumps of chicken and
shrimp, etc. - and are still fairly crisp on the outside.
I've never seen one as thin as a crepe. I love the
ones I've had. They're one of my favorite Vietnamese
dishes and not all the easy to find around here. :-(

I have several recipes to try but haven't gotten around
to it get. One of these days . . . !

Kate