BATTER
2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 -1/3 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder, preferably Vietnamese Golden Bells brand
3 scallions, cut into thin rings

FILLING
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
15 scallops
4 cups of bean sprouts
2 cups sliced white mushrooms, lightly sautéed, drained

ACCOMPANIMENTS
1 cup Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Table Salad

In Saigon, there's a small restaurant in the Dinh Cong Trang area that specializes in this dish. Upon arrival at this jam-packed outdoor eatery, guests are greeted by the smells and sounds of banh xeo sizzling on a bank of charcoal braziers. To eat, diners tear off a piece of the crepe, then wrap it with lettuce and herbs and dip it in a sauce. For a more authentic flavor, substitute mustard greens for the lettuce in the accompanying Table Salad.

In the summer, instead of a barbecue, set up an outdoor stove, assemble the necessary ingredients and let your guests take turns cooking the crepes. It's a lot of fun and a good way to eat since you can enjoy the crepes just as they come out of the pan. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet for this recipe. If you need to use a smaller one, decrease the portion of batter accordingly.

1. Make the batter: Place the rice flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric, sugar, salt, curry powder and scallions in a bowl and stir well to blend. Set aside.

2. Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add one-quarter each of the onion and scallops and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Wisk the batter well, and ladle about 2/3 cup into the pan. Swirl so the batter completely covers the surface. Neatly pile about 1cup bean sprouts and 1/2 cup mushrooms on one side of the crepe, closer to the center than to the edge. Reduce the heat slightly, cover the pan and cook until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Uncover and cook until the crepe is crisp and the scallops are done, another 2 to 3 minutes. Slip a spatula under the crepe to check on the bottom of the crepe. If it's not brown, cook another minute or two.

3. Lift the side of the crepe without the bean sprouts and mushrooms and fold it over the covered side of the crepe. Using a spatula, gently slide the crepe onto a large plate. Wipe the pan clean and make the remaining crepes in the same way. Be sure to oil the pan before beginning the next crepe.

4. To serve, place the crepes, Vietnamese Dipping Sauce and Table Salad on the table. To eat, tear a piece of the banh xeo and wrap with lettuce or mustard leaves and herbs. Roll into a packet, then dip into the sauce and eat.

NOTE: In Hue, this dish is called bank khoai (happy pancakes). The crepes are smaller, about 6 inches in diameter, and are served with a heavier sauce of fermented soybeans. If you want to try this version, use a small pan and reduce the amount of ingredients accordingly. When the crepe is half-done drizzle the beaten egg around the edges and serve open face or folded, with the same accompaniments.

Source: Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table © Mai Pham, 2001
Visit Mai Pham's website at: www.lemongrassrestaurant.com